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Craig Bowser

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Craig Bowser
Image of Craig Bowser
Kansas State Senate District 1
Tenure

2025 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

0

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Emporia State University

Graduate

Washburn University

Ph.D

Henley Putnam University

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army Reserve

Years of service

1991 - 2015

Years of service

1991 - 2015

Personal
Birthplace
Warrensburg, Mo.
Religion
Baptist
Contact

Craig Bowser (Republican Party) is a member of the Kansas State Senate, representing District 1. He assumed office on January 13, 2025. His current term ends on January 8, 2029.

Bowser (Republican Party) ran for election to the Kansas State Senate to represent District 1. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Bowser completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Craig Bowser was born in Warrensburg, Missouri. He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1991 to 2015. He earned a bachelor's degree from Emporia State University, a graduate degree from Washburn University, and a Ph.D. from Henley Putnam University.[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kansas State Senate District 1

Craig Bowser won election in the general election for Kansas State Senate District 1 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Craig Bowser
Craig Bowser (R) Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
29,530

Total votes: 29,530
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 1

Craig Bowser defeated John Eplee and incumbent Dennis Pyle in the Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 1 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Craig Bowser
Craig Bowser Candidate Connection
 
40.6
 
5,069
Image of John Eplee
John Eplee
 
36.4
 
4,543
Image of Dennis Pyle
Dennis Pyle
 
22.9
 
2,860

Total votes: 12,472
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Bowser in this election.

Pledges

Bowser signed the following pledges.

  • U.S. Term Limits

2020

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Kansas State Senate District 22

Incumbent Tom Hawk defeated Craig Bowser in the general election for Kansas State Senate District 22 on November 3, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tom Hawk
Tom Hawk (D)
 
51.3
 
15,687
Image of Craig Bowser
Craig Bowser (R) Candidate Connection
 
48.7
 
14,911

Total votes: 30,598
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 22

Incumbent Tom Hawk advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 22 on August 4, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Tom Hawk
Tom Hawk
 
100.0
 
4,200

Total votes: 4,200
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 22

Craig Bowser defeated Bryan Pruitt in the Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 22 on August 4, 2020.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Craig Bowser
Craig Bowser Candidate Connection
 
60.5
 
5,232
Image of Bryan Pruitt
Bryan Pruitt
 
39.5
 
3,411

Total votes: 8,643
Candidate Connection = 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.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Craig Bowser completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bowser's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Craig Bowser is a fifth generation Kansan raised on a ranch near Holton. His mother, a single mom of four, raised her family while also earning her master’s degree in education. Dedicated to giving back, she then went on to help individuals in her community achieve their GED or high school equivalent. Her sacrifices and passion for public service taught Craig the value of education and perseverance. Values he would keep with him throughout adulthood.

After graduating from Holton High School, Craig earned a bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University and an MBA from Washburn University in Topeka.

Craig joined the U.S. Army Reserves where he served for 24 years. After completing multiple combat tours in Iraq, Craig used his G.I. Bill to earn his doctorate in strategic security from Henley Putnam School of Strategic Security.

Craig helped to facilitate the first free elections in Iraq in 2005. He was awarded the prestigious Meritorious Honor Award from the U.S. Department of State during one of his combat tours. In 2018, Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer appointed Craig to the statewide Commission on Emergency Planning and Response.

Craig Bowser has not only served as a leader in the Army but has also held leadership positions in a variety of companies and industries such as transportation, utilities, nuclear, government, and agriculture. Craig and his wife are both small business owners. Today, Craig and his wife Erin live on their farm near Holton.
  • Lower Taxes and job creation. I support tax reform in Kansas and believe with inflation at record highs our family need tax relief.
  • Protect life and the second amendment. I am a pro=life candidate and believe in protecting the unborn. My wife and I have 2 adopted children.
  • I will work hard for small businesses and military veterans.
I have experience when it comes to placing veterans in good-paying jobs in Kansas. My commitment to service didn't stop when I entered the private sector after a distinguished military career. I will work with local employers, universities, technical colleges, and the military to incentivize business growth in the region. I understand the challenges members of the military face during and after their service. I support higher education and technical education to train a qualified workforce for Kansas.
https://www.amazon.com/STRATEGY-UNITED-STATES-CONTAIN-VENEZUELA/dp/1522099026/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XMEF9DMN0XG7&keywords=craig+bowser&qid=1707872027&sprefix=craig+bows%2Caps%2C327&sr=8-1
Act as representatives of the people of the senate district. Build relationships at the local and state level. Listen to constituents’ concerns, advocate for their needs, and make decisions that align with the community’s interests and values.
A STRATEGY FOR THE UNITED STATES TO ENGAGE AND CONTAIN VENEZUELA: and avoid the spread of fourth-generation warfare (4GW) in Latin America. I wrote this book and it's a good study on socialism.
The relationship between the legislature and governor needs to be one of checks and balances.
Tax reform and job growth. Our state needs to be better positioned to succeed in the competitive decade ahead.
It's helpful but not necessary. I spent 14 years in the Army working with both the US government and allied governments to improve and streamline government operations.
You can view our campaign endorsements on our website www.craigbowser.com
Agriculture, Veterans, Small Business
It is very important to have financial transparency and government accountability.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Candidate Connection

Craig Bowser completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bowser's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Craig Bowser candidate for Kansas State Senate district 22. My priorities are simple, I will work hard for the people of this district, supporting small businesses and job creation, advancing veterans' issues and fighting for agriculture. I believe our government CAN and MUST do better. For too long the politicians in Topeka have spent more time fighting over petty political issues. I'm running for office to change that. make improvements that trim costs and produce better results. I believe in lowering the tax burden for families and businesses and supporting policies that encourage families and businesses to locate and remain in Kansas.
Craig is experienced when it comes to placing veterans in good-paying jobs in the Manhattan area. His commitment to service didn't stop when he entered the private sector after a distinguished military career. He will work with local employers, the university, technical college, and military base to incentivize business growth in the region. Craig is a retired military veteran who served honorably in Operation Iraqi Freedom. He understands the challenges members of the military face during and after their service. He is a strong supporter of transitioning military members from service to the private sector with the skills they need to land good-paying jobs. Craig supports higher education and technical education to train a qualified workforce to fill the demand for technical skill in the Manhattan area. He currently works in education, training military veterans to fill jobs where demand is strong.
https://www.amazon.com/STRATEGY-UNITED-STATES-CONTAIN-VENEZUELA/dp/1522099026/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=craig+bowser&qid=1580855350&sr=8-1

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary


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.


Craig Bowser campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Kansas State Senate District 1Won general$98,547 $0
2020Kansas State Senate District 22Lost general$76,603 N/A**
Grand total$175,150 N/A**
Sources: OpenSecretsFederal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** 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.












See also


External links

Footnotes

  1. Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 14, 2024

Political offices
Preceded by
-
Kansas State Senate District 1
2025-Present
Succeeded by
-


Current members of the Kansas State Senate
Leadership
Senate President:Ty Masterson
Majority Leader:Chase Blasi
Minority Leader:Dinah Sykes
Senators
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
District 16
District 17
District 18
District 19
District 20
District 21
District 22
District 23
District 24
District 25
Mary Ware (D)
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
Tory Blew (R)
District 34
District 35
TJ Rose (R)
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
Republican Party (31)
Democratic Party (9)