Mary Ware

Mary Ware

Democratic Party

Kansas State Senate District 25

Tenure

2019 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

6

Compensation

Base salary

$86.66/session day

Per diem

$166/day

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Appointed

December 2, 2018

Education

High school

Wichita High School East

Personal

Birthplace

Wichita, Kan.

Religion

Non-Denominational

Profession

Small business owner

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Mary Ware (Democratic Party) is a member of the Kansas State Senate, representing District 25. She assumed office in 2019. Her current term ends on January 8, 2029.

Ware (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Kansas State Senate to represent District 25. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Ware was appointed on December 2, 2018, to replace Lynn Rogers (D), who was elected lieutenant governor of Kansas.

Biography

Mary Ware was born in Wichita, Kansas. Ware's career experience includes working as a small business owner.

Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Ware was assigned to the following committees:

• Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
• Commerce Committee
• Kansas Security Committee
• Legislative Post Audit Committee

2021-2022

Ware was assigned to the following committees:

• Kansas Security Committee
• Legislative Post Audit Committee
• Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, Ranking minority member
• Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee

2019-2020

Ware was assigned to the following committees:

• Administrative Rules and Regulations Committee
• Kansas Security Committee
• Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee
• Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee, Ranking minority member

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

2024

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kansas State Senate District 25

Incumbent Mary Ware defeated Keenen Smith in the general election for Kansas State Senate District 25 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Ware (D)	57.1	11,638
		Keenen Smith (R)	42.9	8,746

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 20,384
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 25

Incumbent Mary Ware advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 25 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Ware	100.0	1,321

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,321
= 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 25

Keenen Smith advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 25 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keenen Smith	100.0	1,230

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,230
= 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 Ware in this election.

2020

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2020

General election

General election for Kansas State Senate District 25

Incumbent Mary Ware defeated Vail Fruechting in the general election for Kansas State Senate District 25 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Ware (D)	54.7	12,647
	Submit photo	Vail Fruechting (R)	45.3	10,456

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 23,103
= 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 25

Incumbent Mary Ware advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 25 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Ware	100.0	3,658

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,658
= 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 25

Vail Fruechting advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 25 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Vail Fruechting	100.0	3,735

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,735
= 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

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

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a lifelong Wichitan who has actually lived at four different addresses in my district, I know District 25. I have broad experience in life and in livelihoods. The Kansas legislature is an arena where there can be an advantage to being a generalist like me.

Farming, the theater, massage therapy, social justice, business management, phlebotomy, education and small business ownership - plus, importantly, growing up in poverty round out my life experience and give me a unique background to draw from when considering how a piece of legislation might effect my neighbors. Ultimately, I’m in Topeka to advocate for those who do not have a strong voice in their government.

Ultimately, I’m in Topeka for everyday Kansans.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Kansans have waited for ten long years for our legislature to pass Medicaid expansion, while 40 other states have already done so and are enjoying the benefits. Meanwhile, Kansans’ health suffers and our taxpayers’ money helps improve healthcare in those other states. Expanding Medicaid would save lives, lower healthcare costs for us all, boost the economy, create jobs in the healthcare industry and reduce economic problems by creating a healthier workforce. Kansans are currently paying federal taxes to provide healthcare in other states but not their own, having already lost nearly $7 Billion in federal funds. Surveys and polls show that Kansans have made it clear, they want Medicaid expansion.
• Kansas voters have spoken loudly and clearly. On August 2, 2022, by an overwhelming margin, Kansans left no doubt that decisions around pregnancy should be left to the patient, their families and their doctor - not legislators from afar. Our Kansas constitution is also clear: all Kansans constitutionally enjoy bodily autonomy. Despite this clarity, some in our legislature continue to push our government between doctors and patients. This year alone 33 bills were introduced aimed at undermining the will of the voters. I will always fight for a woman’s right to make her own medical decisions.
• Our Kansas legislature should be making it easier for folks to vote. Sadly, many members are doing the opposite. This year they tried to get rid of the three-day grace period for mail-in ballots, eliminate ballot drop boxes and ban voting machines. I am against these efforts. Like many Kansans, I like voting from home before Election Day to avoid long lines and make informed decisions in privacy. Our Secretary of State has said that Kansas elections are safe and secure. There are real problems in our state, but election security is not one of them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

1st-Strong public schools are critical. I’m dedicated to making sure that every Kansas kid has access to a great education to create a better future.
2nd-I’m always on the look out for real solutions that are a win-win for all stakeholders. The investment in providing training for justice involved people while they are still incarcerated, would pay off big. Data shows that the one best way to reduce recidivism is to have a job. How much better would it be to have a real career? Clearly, it would be a win for the individual, the employer would have a new loyal worker and society would have another hard working tax payer. The cost for this investment would be much lower than the cost associated with having them back in prison.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

In my 6 years in the Kansas Senate, just as in life in general, I’ve learned that perhaps the most important qualities for a legislator are networking, careful listening and to be able to work with others through genuine interest in their concerns. I’ve been able to develop rapport with nearly every legislator and can truly say that many are friends, even those whose beliefs rarely align with mine on controversial issues.

Without honesty, there is no credibility.
Without straight forwardness, there can not be trust.

Without clear communications, there can never be compromise.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I started babysitting on a regular basis when I was just 12. I continued to care for children of several different families from one to five days a week until I graduated from high school. Even though is was on a part time basis because I was a student first, of course, it provided some income for some “extras” that I couldn’t have otherwise had. During this time of my life, I learned the value of frugality, how to do more with only a few dollars. So, instead of going shopping for a dress to wear to prom, I went to the fabric store and made a dress that was, for certain, one of a kind. Rather than feeling ashamed of what I didn’t have, I learned to feel proud of my accomplishments.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The key here is balance. Our founders believed in three equal arms of government. There is great wisdom in each branch keeping to their governmental responsibility. Open and regular communications are critical to being able to work together in balance to benefit Kansans.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

In a word, balance. To expand on the last question, I expect that working to achieve a better balance within our Kansas legislature will be what will benefit Kansans most. The current super-majority situation is far from ideal. When the pendulum swings too far either way, the citizenry loses out.
Our legislature has been ignoring the clear voice of our people for too long.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe that any experience a legislator brings with them to lawmaking can be beneficial. I come to the Senate with a broad base of experience in many fields and with them, an ability to acclimate to a new situation quickly. Having not come from a background of local government or the law, the learning curve for me has been steep. What I’ve brought with me, instead, is the ability to quickly read people and to be able to work with everyone from the janitor to the Governor.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely, it’s the base to build from when working to get bills passed. Having an established rapport, makes it possible to have those more difficult discussions with greater ease. You don’t have to always agree with someone else to appreciate them.
Real solutions, not just reactive “bandaids”, require all stakeholders at the discussion table, at the same time, with an equal voice. Generally, this takes more time and can, at times, become contentious when there are conflicting interests. The problem is that bandaids virtually always cost more in dollars and sometimes in people’s lives. I’ll always opt for taking the time and putting in the effort to find real answers for my Kansas neighbors problems.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Last year I introduced a bill that got caught up in the end of session quagmire and didn’t pass. So, I will pre-file it once again. The Blind Information Access Bill will secure funding for access to a broad array of information for our blind, deaf blind, and print impaired neighbors through their electronic devices. Besides all that you’d expect to find in the periodical section of a large library, it will provide emergency weather and safety alerts along with local newspaper access. For a relatively tiny investment, we can keep thousands of Kansans connected to the broader world. Given it’s small fiscal outlay, my bill has broad bi-partisan support.

What committees interest you?

An easier question might be, “What committees don’t interest me?” One of the aspects of the Kansas legislature that I appreciate most is that each day brings another opportunity to learn something new about our world. Often hour by hour I’m faced with a new topic - from how high should the sides of a truck carrying silage should be to whether we should relax our credentialing standards somewhat to ease the shortage of teachers or healthcare workers, for just one example.

I have been on the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources committee for six years and I’m now the ranking member. Here is draw on my experience in farming.

Being on the Commerce committee, I utilize my background of working within very large businesses and of owning several small ones to expand our Kansas state economy.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

- Government at all levels can and should be easier for citizens to understand and follow. I’m pleased that since Covid, our legislative committee meetings are available virtually in real time as well as through archived videos.

- Our state records are not searchable by topic. That should be changed. Currently, it’s nearly impossible for an involved citizen to find a pending bill without the bill number, which they often don’t know.
- I believe we should publish a list of contact people for each department and agency in our state government. Too often my constituents’ experience with our state bureaucracy is an exercise in frustration. When they know who to contact within an entity, they can have success with their issue at hand. Without that inside information, it can feel like walking round and round the castle wall, knocking and knocking, looking for the invisible way in.

-

Would a state ballot initiative process be good or bad for your state?

I would love to see Kansas allow ballot initiative. It would make it possible to for the people’s voice to be more influential. With a ballot initiative process when an issue is broadly popular, it would be put up for a vote without having to go through the typically more obstructed process. It’s highly unlikely that it would be allowed to happen, though, given that it would remove absolute power from legislative leadership and put it, instead, into the hands of everyday Kansans.

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

Mary Ware did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

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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Mary Ware campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Kansas State Senate District 25	Won general	$102,992	$0
2020	Kansas State Senate District 25	Won general	$130,611	N/A**
Grand total			$233,603	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal 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.

2024

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2024, click [show].

In 2024, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 8 to April 30. Americans for Prosperity-Kansas Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. Kansas Family Voice Legislators are scored on their votes on a variety of issues of interest to the organization. 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." National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2023

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2023, click [show].

In 2023, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 9 to April 28. Kansas Family Voice Legislators are scored on their votes on a variety of issues of interest to the organization. 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." Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2022

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2022, click [show].

In 2022, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 10 to May 23. Kansas Family Voice Legislators are scored on their votes on a variety of issues of interest to the organization. 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. Wichita Chamber of Commerce Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 11 to May 26. Americans for Prosperity-Kansas Legislators are scored on their stances on conservative fiscal policy. 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.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 13 to May 21. A special session convened from June 3 to June 4. 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. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business 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.

2019

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2019, click [show].

In 2019, the Kansas State Legislature was in session from January 14 through May 29. 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.

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Kansas State Senate District 25

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Kansas State Senate District 25 2019-Present	Succeeded by -

[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)