Here are the recommendations from the Kansas National Education Association’s political action committee for the 2026 elections. The recommendations for the candidates will carry through to the general election although the PAC will meet again after the primary to review it’s recommendations. Here’s a look at brief capsules summing up every House race.
This list only covers contested House races where a recommendation was made.
The KNEA political action committee has already endorsed Republican Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt for governor, Democrat Chris Mann for attorney general, Democrat Jennifer Day for secretary of state and Democrat Dinah Sykes for insurance commissioner. The PAC did not endorse in the Democratic primary for governor and the race for state treasurer.
District 2
Recommended candidate: Avery Rowland, Democrat, Girard
Opponents: Rep. Ken Collins, Republican, Mulberry
Daniel Muter, Republican, Pittsburg
District 5
Recommended candidate: Henry Johns, Democrat, Lawrence
Opponents: Rep. Courtney Sappington, Republican, Baldwin City
Courtney Crawford, Republican, Paola
Jon Chitwood, Republican, Spring Hill
District 10
Recommended candidate: Rep. Suzanne Wikle, Democrat, Lawrence
Opponent: TJ Campsey, Democrat, Lawrence
District 14
Recommended candidate: Sherry Giebler, Democrat, Olathe
Opponent: Rep. Charlotte Esau, Republican, Olath
District 15
Recommended candidate: Allison Hougland, Democrat, Olathe
Opponent: Rep. Lauren Bohi, Republican, Olathe
District 17
Recommended candidate: Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, Democrat, Lenexa
Opponent: Jim Eschrich, Republican, Lenexa
District 18
Recommended candidate: Rep. Cindy Neighbor, Democrat, Shawnee
Opponent: Robert Whitman, Republican, Shawnee
District 19
Recommended candidate: Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, Democrat, Overland Park
Opponent: Mark Hermes, Republican, Overland Park
District 24
Recommended candidate: Rep. Jarrod Ousley, Democrat, Merriam
Opponent: Scott Speicker, Republican, Merriam
District 28
Recommended candidate: Bryan Mouber, Democrat, Overland Park
Opponent: Alex Bergman, Republican, Overland Park
District 30
Recommended candidate: Zachary Hawkins, Democrat, Olathe
Opponents: Amelia Wiederaenders, Democrat, Olathe
Tyler Holmes, Democrat, Lenexa
Rep. Laura Williams, Republican, Lenexa
District 32
Recommended candidate: Rep. Pam Curtis, Democrat, Kansas City
Opponent: Marco A. Medina Diaz, Democrat, Kansas City
District 33
Recommended candidate: Emily Blanks, Democrat, Bonner Springs
Opponents: Romona Smith, Democrat, Kansas City
Rep. Carolyn Caiharr, Republican, Edwardsville
District 34
Recommended candidate: Rep. Valdenia Winn, Democrat, Kansas City
Opponent: CeCe Harlin, Republican, Kansas City
District 35
Recommended candidate: Rep. Wanda Brownlee Paige, Democrat, Kansas City
Opponents: Alex Sanchez, Republican, Kansas City
Lisa Walker Yeager, Republican, Kansas City
District 36
Endorsed candidate: Rep. Lynn Melton, Democrat, Kansas City
Opponent: Brian Dickason, Republican, Kansas City
District 37
Recommended candidate: Rep. Melissa Oropeza, Democrat, Kansas City
Opponent: Connie Jo Henry, Republican, Kansas City
District 43
Recommended candidate: Kristen Schultz, Democrat, Gardner
Opponent: Rep. Bill Sutton, Republican, Gardner
District 47
Recommended candidate: Mary T. Williams, Democrat, Meriden
Opponents: Paula Newell Ellis, Republican, Meriden
Christopher W. Feuerborn, Republican, Ozawkie
Steven Scott, Republican, Ozawkie
District 49
Recommended candidate: Rep. Nikki McDonald, Democrat, Olathe
Opponent: Tricia Sinclair, Republican, Olathe
District 55
Recommended candidate: Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, Democrat, Topeka
Opponent: Zinaia Armstead, Democrat, Topeka
District 56
Recommended candidate: Rep. Virgil Weigel, Democrat Topeka
Opponents: Braeden Curwick, Democrat, Topeka
Elvin Fajardo, Republican, Topeka
District 58:
Recommended candidate: Rep. Alexis Simmons, Democrat, Topeka
Opponent: Michael Mathewson, Republican, Topeka
District 59
Recommended candidate: Michael Lewis, Democrat, Ottawa
Opponent: Rep. Rebecca Schmoe, Republican, Ottawa
District 60
Recommended candidate: Rep. Mark Schreiber, Republican, Emporia
Opponent: Madison Glover, Democrat, Emporia
District 66
Recommended candidate: Rep. Sydney Carlin, Democrat, Manhattan
Opponent: Noah Perry, Republican, Manhattan
District 67
Recommended candidate: Stacy Kohlmeier, Republican, Manhattan
Recommended candidate: Brenda Bandy, Democrat, Manhattan
Opponent: Kaleb James, Republican, Manhattan
District 78
Recommended candidate: Tim Lundberg, Democrat, Olathe
Opponents: KaMesha Bernard, Democrat, Olathe
State Rep. Robyn Essex, Republican, Olathe
District 83
Endorsed candidate: Rep. Henry Helgerson, Democrat, Eastborough
Opponents: Brandon Whipple, Democrat, Wichita
Zachary Werhan, Republican, Wichita
District 84
Recommended candidate: State Rep. Ford Carr, Democrat, Wichita
Bonita Gooch, Democrat, Wichita
District 86
Recommended candidate: Rep. Abi Boatman, Democrat, Wichita
Opponent: Kevin Thompson, Republican, Wichita
District 88
Recommended candidate: Daniel Schneider, Democrat, Wichita
Opponents: Candace Landers, Democrat, Wichita
Rep. Sandy Pickert, Republican, Wichita
District 92
Recommended candidate: Rep. John Carmichael, Democrat, Wichita
Opponent: Vail Freuchting, Republican, Wichita
District 100
Recommended candidate: J.C. Moore, Republican, Wichita
Al Jirak, Republican, Wichita
Carl Maughan, Republican, Wichita
Amanda Mogoi, Democrat, Wichita
District 103
Endorsed candidate: Rep. Angela Martinez, Democrat, Wichita
Opponent: Jordan Chessher, Republican, Wichita
District 104
Recommended candidate: Lynnette Krieger-Zook, Democrat, Buhler
Opponent: Randy Parks, Republican, Hutchinson
District 105
Recommended candidate: John Burke, Democrat, Wichita
Opponent: Rep. Jill Ward, Republican, Wichita
District 110
Recommended candidate: Mark Schaukowitch, Democrat, Plainville
Opponents: Max Dibble, Republican, Phillipsburg
Marvin Matchett, Republican, Norton
Cody Ward, Republican, Logan
District 123
Recommended candidate: Becca Burnfin, Democrat, Garden City
Opponent: Rep. Bob Lewis, Republican, Garden City
