A House seat in Wichita is expected to be in play next year, possibly setting the stage for the return of former Republican state Rep. John Whitmer.
Republican state Rep. Brian Bergkamp, who represents House District 93, said in a recent interview that he plans to file to run for the Sedgwick County Commission.
Bergkamp said he would plan to leave the Legislature, leading many to believe that Whitmer will run for the seat that he held from 2015 to 2019.
Whitmer wasn’t ready to make any commitment about running for the seat in an interview this week, although he said he would strongly consider a run if Bergkamp departed.
Whitmer, who now hosts a weekly radio talk show in Wichita, was upset in the 2018 Republican primary by J.C. Moore by 60 votes.
“The county commission is a full-time job. My understanding was you wouldn’t be able to do both of them concurrently,” Bergkamp said.
Bergkamp trounced Moore in the 2020 Republican primary with about 80% of the vote in 2020. He’s now serving his second term in the Kansas House.
Bergkamp said David Dennis, the current county commissioner who represents his area, is retiring.
“It’s not easy,” Bergkamp said of his decision to run for another office.
“I really enjoy my time in Topeka – a lot of good people. But sometimes these opportunities, they present themselves, I guess you have to at least try.”
Bergkamp said Thursday that he has not yet filed for the position, although he has named a treasurer.
He said he doesn’t plan to file for the position for “a bit.”
Whitmer wasn’t making any public commitments about running for the position, although he said he would strongly consider a comeback.
“Out of respect for Brian and his service to the 93rd District, I think it would be inappropriate for me to make any announcement at this time,” Whitmer said.
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.
