Former state Rep. John Whitmer of Wichita said Sunday night that he would run again for the state House seat that he lost in 2018.
Whitmer announced his candidacy for the House District 93 seat that will come open with incumbent state Rep. Brian Bergkamp running for the Sedgwick County Commission.
Bergamp is not leaving the Legislature immediately. He plans to serve in the House next year as he runs for the county commission.
Whitmer, a conservative Republican, made his candidacy official on his weekly talk show on KNSS radio.
He said he plans to turn the show over to guest hosts in 2024 when he’s running for office.
“It is with a mix of humility and determination and a deep commitment to our shared values that I take this step,” Whitmer said.
“I ask for your prayers and your support as I embark on this campaign,” he said.
“I ask for your prayers – prayers for wisdom, discernment and the courage to make the decisions that will be necessary to benefit our state,” he said.
Whitmer’s candidacy had been anticipated for some time with many Republican insiders aware that Bergkamp was planning to run for the Sedgwick County Commission.
Whitmer will run for the seat that he held from 2015 to 2019.
Whitmer, who has hosted a weekly radio talk show in Wichita for five years, was upset in the 2018 Republican primary by J.C. Moore by 60 votes.
Whitmer said he goes into the race with support from Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach and House Speaker Dan Hawkins.
“I’ve spent the last five years using this platform, using my voice to advocate for the conservative principles that we know, that we champion – limited government, individual liberty, free enterprise, traditional values,” he said.
“Now, we’re just going to take that voice on the road. We’re just going to take that voice and use the opportunity to advocate for those principles on behalf of the people of the 93rd District,” he said.
Whitmer said he will host one more radio show this year before turning it over to guest hosts starting in 2024.
“I will still be very involved in the show,” he said. “I will be here in the studio. I will be producing the show. I will be helping to book guests.”
But during the 2024 election cycle, Whitmer said he would step away from the microphone and work on the show behind the scenes.
He promised to return to hosting the show when the election concludes.
“Trust me, I will be back,” he said. “We will take the show on the road if need be in 2024.”
Whitmer said possible temporary hosts of the show include Wichita businessman Wink Hartman, former state Sen. Michael O’Donnell and Michael Austin, a former economics adviser to then-Gov. Sam Brownback.
House District 93 is decidedly Republican.
It covers parts of Wichita, Cheney, Clearwater, Mulvane and Goddard.
Former Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt carried this district with about 61% of the vote during last year’s governor’s race.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly received about 35% of the vote in this district.
About 55% of the district is made up of Republican voters, and about 16% of the voters are Democrats. About 28% of the district is made up of unaffiliated voters.
