The brother of state Sen. J.R. Claeys is running for Senate District 27, setting up the possibility of having two Claeys in the Kansas Senate.
Joe Claeys, a Republican, is running for a Senate seat that will come open because incumbent Sen. Chase Blasi was moved into the 26th District as a result of redistricting.
Now an independent educational consultant, Claeys worked for 16 years as a school psychologist in the Maize School District.
“Many may already be familiar with my brother, who has served for 11 years in the statehouse,” Claeys said in a statement.
“While our politics are similar, our experiences that led us to public service are different.”
His brother, J.R., is expected to run for reelection next year, opening the door that the brothers might serve togther in the Senate.
Joe Claeys claimed endorsements from U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, Senate President Ty Masterson and Majority Leader Larry Alley.
He also received the support of his brother’s employer, Attorney General Kris Kobach.
About 47% of the voters in Senate District 27 are Republican and 22% are Democrats. Twenty-nine percent of the voters are unaffiliated.
Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt carried the district in last year’s governor’s race with about 50% of the vote.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly received 47%, and conservative state Sen. Dennis Pyle received about 2% of the vote.
The abortion amendment – Value Them Both – lost in this district with 54% of the vote.
In other filings of note:
Republican Charlotte Esau of Olathe has filed to run again for the House in District 14 against Democrat Dennis Miller. Esau lost to Miller last year by 221 votes. About 46% of the district is Republican and about 30% are Democrats. About 24% of the voters in this district are unaffiliated. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly won this district with 56% of the vote last year. Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt received 44% of the vote for governor here. The abortion amendment lost with 60% of the vote in this district as well. Esau, whose husband was previously in the Legislature, served from 2019 to 2023 before she was defeated last year.
In House District 60, Democrat Mic McGuire is taking another shot at trying to unseat moderate Republican Mark Schreiber of Emporia, who has been in the House since 2017. McGuire, a pastor, lost to Schreiber last year with 45% of the vote. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly carried this district with about 59% of the vote last year. Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt received about 38% of the vote in this district in last year’s governor’s race. The abortion amendment lost in this district with 68% of the vote. McGuire served as pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Emporia from 2002-09, and he more recently retired as a pastor of Harveyville United Methodist.
