Steve Fitzgerald

Steve Fitzgerald

Republican Party

Prior offices

Kansas State Senate District 5

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Elections and appointments

Last election

August 7, 2018

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Personal

Profession

Military

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Steve Fitzgerald is a former Republican member of the Kansas State Senate, representing District 5 from 2013 to 2018. Fitzgerald was first elected to the chamber in 2012. He resigned September 25, 2018. Fitzgerald said he resigned to give another Republican the opportunity to serve ahead of the 2020 election.

Fitzgerald was a Republican candidate for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House. He lost the primary election August 7, 2018.

Fitzgerald was a 2014 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 2nd Congressional District of Kansas. He eventually decided not to challenge incumbent Lynn Jenkins in 2014.

Biography

Fitzgerald served in the U.S. Army for two decades, including tours in Vietnam, Germany, and Grenada. He retired as a lieutenant colonel. In the private sector, Fitzgerald ran an executive recruiting business for 11 years. He also worked as a military analyst and trainer for Northrop Grumman.

Committee assignments

2017 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2017 legislative session, this legislator served on the following committees:

2015 legislative session

At the beginning of the 2015 legislative session, Fitzgerald served on the following committees:

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Fitzgerald served on the following committees:

Kansas committee assignments, 2013
• Transportation
• Ethics, Elections and Local Government
• Ways and Means

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Elections

2018

See also: Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2018

See also: Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election (August 7, 2018 Democratic primary)

See also: Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election (August 7, 2018 Republican primary)

General election

Steve Watkins defeated Paul Davis and Kelly Standley in the general election for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on November 6, 2018.

General election

General election for U.S. House Kansas District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Watkins (R)	47.6	126,098
		Paul Davis (D)	46.8	123,859
		Kelly Standley (L)	5.6	14,731

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 264,688
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Paul Davis advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Davis	100.0	38,846

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 38,846
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Nathan Schmidt (D)

Republican primary election

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2 on August 7, 2018.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 2

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Steve Watkins	26.5	20,052
		Caryn Tyson	23.5	17,749
		Kevin Jones	14.8	11,201
		Steve Fitzgerald	12.2	9,227
		Dennis Pyle	12.1	9,126
		Doug Mays	8.2	6,221
		Vernon Fields	2.6	1,987

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 75,563
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Matt Bevens (R)
• Tyler Tannahill (R)

More information about this race can be viewed by clicking [show] at the right.

Army veteran and engineer Steve Watkins (R) defeated state Sens. Caryn Tyson (R) and Steve Fitzgerald (R) and four other candidates in the Republican primary for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. Watkins led the Republican field in fundraising with $640,000 in contributions, including $475,000 in loans he made to his campaign. He was also boosted by ad buys from With Honor Fund and Kansans Can Do Anything, a group funded by his father. He faced criticism for reportedly attending a meeting at the Shawnee Democratic Party headquarters in 2017 to discuss running as a Democrat. Watkins denied the charge, saying he met with the party's vice chair to discuss policy. In response to The Kansas City Star finding one record of Watkins voting as a Republican, a week before he filed for the race, Watkins said that he remained politically inactive while serving in the military. Tyson and Fitzgerald reported $604,000 and $458,000 in contributions, respectively, through mid-July 2018. Shortly before the June 1 filing deadline, former Kansas House Speaker Doug Mays (R)—who carried this district in his 2014 gubernatorial bid against Sam Brownback (R)—also entered the race. Candidates sparred over who was best equipped to challenge former state House Minority Leader Paul Davis (D), who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary and outraised the Republican candidates. According to Hunter Woodall and Bryan Lowry of the Kansas City Star, local Republican groups, such as Kansans For Life, were worried that Davis could win. "[The] district needs to be taken seriously by Republicans or they will end up with a supporter of Nancy Pelosi’s liberal agenda representing Kansas in Congress," said Congressional Leadership Fund executive director Corry Bliss. Incumbent Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R) did not seek re-election, leaving this typically safe red seat—Trump won the district by a margin of 19 points—open. Endorsements The table below summarizes the endorsements Ballotpedia identified for Republican candidates in the primary for Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. Republican candidate endorsements Endorsement Fields Fitzgerald Jones Mays Pyle Tyson Watkins Federal officials Rep. Roger Marshall ✔ Organizations Kansans for Life ✔ ✔ ✔ Kansas Farm Bureau ✔ With Honor PAC ✔ Susan B. Anthony List ✔ Campaign finance Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date Paul Davis Democratic Party $3,985,403 $3,954,361 $31,166 As of December 31, 2018 Vernon Fields Republican Party $29,168 $19,232 $8,610 As of September 30, 2018 Steve Fitzgerald Republican Party $493,480 $470,455 $9,105 As of December 14, 2018 Kevin Jones Republican Party $135,031 $135,041 $0 As of December 31, 2018 Doug Mays Republican Party $153,165 $153,165 $0 As of August 21, 2018 Dennis Pyle Republican Party $149,877 $149,877 $0 As of October 15, 2018 Caryn Tyson Republican Party $629,705 $326,067 $303,638 As of December 31, 2018 Steve Watkins Republican Party $1,257,753 $1,223,163 $34,590 As of December 31, 2018 Kelly Standley Libertarian Party $0 $0 $0 As of April 1, 2018 Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2018. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

2016

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2016

Elections for the Kansas State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.

Incumbent Steve Fitzgerald defeated Bill Hutton in the Kansas State Senate District 5 general election.

Kansas State Senate, District 5 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Fitzgerald Incumbent	50.97%	13,336
	Democratic	Bill Hutton	49.03%	12,828
Total Votes				26,164
Source: Kansas Secretary of State

Bill Hutton defeated Donald Terrien in the Kansas State Senate District 5 Democratic primary.

Kansas State Senate, District 5 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Bill Hutton	74.08%	2,570
	Democratic	Donald Terrien	25.92%	899
Total Votes				3,469

Incumbent Steve Fitzgerald ran unopposed in the Kansas State Senate District 5 Republican primary.

Kansas State Senate, District 5 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate
	Republican	Steve Fitzgerald Incumbent (unopposed)

2014

See also: Kansas' 2nd Congressional District elections, 2014

Fitzgerald ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Kansas' 2nd District. Fitzgerald eventually decided not to challenge incumbent Lynn Jenkins in 2014.

2012

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2012

Fitzgerald won election in the 2012 election for Kansas State Senate District 5. Fitzgerald defeated Mark S. Gilstrap in the August 7 Republican primary and defeated Kelly Kultala (D) in the general election, which took place on November 6, 2012.

Kansas State Senate, District 5, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Steve Fitzgerald	51.5%	12,803
	Democratic	Kelly Kultala Incumbent	48.5%	12,040
Total Votes				24,843

Kansas State Senate, District 5 Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Steve Fitzgerald	61.5%	2,298
Mark S. Gilstrap	38.5%	1,441
Total Votes		3,739

Campaign themes

2018

“	National Security America’s defense and the safety of our soldiers is of the utmost importance. I served in the US Army for over twenty years from the rank of Private to Lieutenant Colonel. Some of our children deployed to Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. We must have a clearly defined mission and end state before deploying our sons and daughters. Our forces must be sufficient to deter aggressors and ensure rapid victory should deterrence fail. National Security and the strength of our economy are closely related. Our next congressman must have relevant experience. Economy I ran my own business for 11 years. It’s difficult to hire and grow when overburdened with regulation. Reducing regulation grows the economy, providing jobs and prosperity. The way to grow the real economy is to dismantle and limit the bureaucracy, lower taxes, and support our small businesses and farmers. I support the Fair Tax, vehemently oppose retroactive taxes, and will push to end policies destructive to working Kansans. Life I am a vocal defender of the unborn, a founding member of the local Kansans for Life chapter, and a repeated denouncer of the Nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood. Paul Davis’ radical anti-family record in the Kansas House make him unfit for office. He voted over 80 times against pro-life legislation, including a vote for sex-selection abortion. Immigration The United States has and continues to accept more legal immigrants than any other country in the world. Immigration must be for the betterment of America. Illegal immigration is wrong, detrimental to our security, and destructive of our economy. It is not tolerated anywhere else and it can no longer be tolerated here. Those in this country illegally can and should return to the country of origin and apply for a legal visa. I’ve been personally involved in such cases and believe that while diligently enforcing legal immigration is difficult and inconvenient, it is the right thing to do. 2nd Amendment I’m proud to have been a sponsor of Kansas Senate Bill 45 that resulted in constitutional carry and to be a long-term life member of the NRA. Unfortunately, more work remains to be done as the federal government continues to exercise unwarranted and intrusive powers within the states. We need the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, so your rights are respected across state lines.	”
—Fitzgerald for Congress

2016

Fitzgerald's campaign website highlighted the following issues:

“	Property Taxes I believe increases in property tax above the rate of inflation must have voter approval and worked hard in the Senate to see that a bill doing that was passed. Keeping taxes low encourages businesses, especially small businesses, to grow in Kansas. School Funding Providing adequate dollars to educate our young people is a priority and I supported efforts to increase funding for teachers and our classrooms. A new formula is needed to get more support to the classrooms and make sure that teachers are getting the resources they need.​ It must also improve the distribution of funds so that our school districts are adequately funded. Terrorism I was alarmed when the president said he wanted to close the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay Cuba and return these inmates to the U.S., potentially at the Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth. This would place Leavenworth and Wyandotte counties in the crosshairs of future terrorism. The Woodlands Reopening the Woodlands in Wyandotte County was a high priority for me and I was able to get a bill through the Senate to do just that. The House didn’t follow suit this year but I will continue my efforts to see that it gets to the Governor’s desk. This will add jobs and be an economic boost by the area. Public Safety As a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, I worked to see that the budget included more money for police training and an increase in the number of Kansas highway patrol troopers. I also supported a sweeping juvenile justice reform measure to help get errant youth back on track and keep them out of the prison system. Welfare Reform We have passed the most comprehensive welfare reform legislation in the country. Kansas has reduced its welfare rolls by 70 percent and the income of former recipients is rising. People that really need short term help should have priority and getting people training and back in the work force is the proper goal.	”
—Steve Fitzgerald

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Steve Fitzgerald campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2018	U.S. House Kansas District 2	Lost primary	$493,480	$470,455
2016	Kansas State Senate, District 5	Won	$108,219	N/A**
2008	Kansas State Senate, District 5	Lost	$127,792	N/A**
2004	Kansas State Senate, District 5	Lost	$51,196	N/A**
Grand total			$780,687	$470,455
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Kansas

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Kansas scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2018

In 2018, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 8 through April 7.

• Kansas AFL-CIO: House

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues.

• Kansas Policy Institute

Legislators are scored on their support for bills that the organization lists as promoting "individual liberty, limited government, free markets and student-focused education."

• MainStream Coalition

Legislators are scored by the MainStream Coalition on whether they voted with the moderate position on selected bills.

• The American Conservative Union

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

• Wichita Chamber of Commerce

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2017

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2017, click [show].

In 2017, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 9 through June 26. Kansas AFL-CIO: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues. Kansas Policy Institute Legislators are scored on their support for bills that the organization lists as promoting "individual liberty, limited government, free markets and student-focused education." MainStream Coalition Legislators are scored by the MainStream Coalition on whether they voted with the moderate position on selected bills. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2016

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2016, click [show].

In 2016, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 11 through June 1. A special session was held from June 23 to June 24 over education funding. AFT- Kansas Legislators are scored on their votes on bills that the organization highlights. Kansas AFL-CIO: Senate and House Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to labor issues. Kansas Policy Institute Legislators are scored on their support for bills that the organization lists as promoting "individual liberty, limited government, free markets and student-focused education." Mainstream Coalition Legislators are scored by the MainStream Coalition on whether they voted with the moderate position on selected bills. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Sierra Club Kansas Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2015

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2015, click [show].

In 2015, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 12 through June 12. Kansas Policy Institute Legislators are scored on their support for bills that the organization lists as promoting "individual liberty, limited government, free markets and student-focused education." The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2014

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2014, click [show].

In 2014, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 13 through May 30. Kansas Policy Institute Legislators are scored on economic and educational issues. MainStream Coalition Legislators in Johnson, Wyandotte, and Douglas counties are scored on whether they voted with the moderate position on selected bills. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].
In 2013, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 14 to June 20. Kansas Policy Institute Legislators are scored on economic and educational issues. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

Endorsements

2016

In 2016, Fitzgerald's endorsements included the following:

• Kansans for Life PAC
• Kansas Chamber PAC
• Kansas Farm Bureau PAC
• NFIB Federation of Independent Business

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.

Fitzgerald and wife, Francie, have three children.

See also

• Kansas' 2nd Congressional District election, 2018
• Kansas State Senate
• Senate Committees
• Joint Committees
• Kansas state legislative districts
• Kansas State Legislature

External links

Suggest a link

• Search Google News for this topic
• Official campaign website
• Profile from Open States
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
• Steve Fitzgerald on Facebook
• Steve Fitzgerald on Twitter
• Campaign Contributions: 2012, 2008, 2004

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Kelly Kultala (D)	Kansas State Senate District 5 2013–2018	Succeeded by Kevin Braun (R)

[show]

Current members of the Kansas State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Ty Masterson

Majority Leader:Chase Blasi

Minority Leader:Dinah Sykes

Senators

District 1

Craig Bowser (R)

District 2

Marci Francisco (D)

District 3

Rick Kloos (R)

District 4

David Haley (D)

District 5

Jeff Klemp (R)

District 6

Pat Pettey (D)

District 7

Ethan Corson (D)

District 8

Cindy Holscher (D)

District 9

Beverly Gossage (R)

District 10

Mike Thompson (R)

District 11

Kellie Warren (R)

District 12

Caryn Tyson (R)

District 13

Tim Shallenburger (R)

District 14

Michael Fagg (R)

District 15

Virgil Peck (R)

District 16

Ty Masterson (R)

District 17

Mike Argabright (R)

District 18

Kenny Titus (R)

District 19

Patrick Schmidt (D)

District 20

Brenda Dietrich (R)

District 21

Dinah Sykes (D)

District 22

Brad Starnes (R)

District 23

Adam Thomas (R)

District 24

Scott Hill (R)

District 25

Mary Ware (D)

District 26

Chase Blasi (R)

District 27

Joe Claeys (R)

District 28

Mike Petersen (R)

District 29

Oletha Faust-Goudeau (D)

District 30

Renee Erickson (R)

District 31

Stephen Owens (R)

District 32

Larry Alley (R)

District 33

Tory Blew (R)

District 34

Michael Murphy (R)

District 35

TJ Rose (R)

District 36

Elaine Bowers (R)

District 37

Douglas Shane (R)

District 38

Ronald Ryckman (R)

District 39

Bill Clifford (R)

District 40

Rick Billinger (R)

Republican Party (31)

Democratic Party (9)

[show]

Kansas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Roger Marshall (R)

Jerry Moran (R)

Representatives

District 1

Tracey Mann (R)

District 2

Derek Schmidt (R)

District 3

Sharice Davids (D)

District 4

Ron Estes (R)

Republican Party (5)

Democratic Party (1)