Norman Mallicoat

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Norman Mallicoat

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Van Horn High School

Bachelor's

University of Missouri, Kansas City, 1983

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1971 - 1976

Personal

Birthplace

Independence, Mo.

Religion

Disciples of Christ

Profession

Telecommunications

Contact

Campaign website

Personal Facebook

Personal Twitter

Personal LinkedIn

Norman Mallicoat (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Kansas State Senate to represent District 9. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Biography

Norman Mallicoat was born in Independence, Missouri. He served in the U.S. Army from 1971 to 1976. He graduated from Van Horn High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Missouri in 1971 and a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1983. His career experience includes working in telecommunications.

Elections

2024

See also: Kansas State Senate elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kansas State Senate District 9

Incumbent Beverly Gossage defeated Norman Mallicoat in the general election for Kansas State Senate District 9 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Beverly Gossage (R)	61.2	24,242
		Norman Mallicoat (D)	38.8	15,389

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,631
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 9

Norman Mallicoat advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas State Senate District 9 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Norman Mallicoat	100.0	3,047

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 3,047
= 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 9

Incumbent Beverly Gossage defeated Bryan Zesiger in the Republican primary for Kansas State Senate District 9 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Beverly Gossage	74.6	5,159
	Submit photo	Bryan Zesiger	25.4	1,757

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,916
= 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 Mallicoat in this election.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Norman Mallicoat completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Mallicoat'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.

I live in Olathe Kansas where I have lived since 1988. I am retired now but worked as a software developer, network engineer and first line manager for Sprint. I also worked for Alcatel Lucent, Nokia and Kharafi-National. I am a father of three and recently celebrated my 40th wedding anniversary. I am former Scoutmaster of Troop 412 in Olathe Kansas and member of the St Andrew Christian Church. I possess two bachelor degrees; one in Computer Science from UMKC and another in Political Science from University of Central Missouri. I am a Army veteran leaving service as a Captain. I am a moderate Democrat that tends to be liberal on domestic issues and traditionally conservative on defense and national security issues. I read a lot and tend to be an introvert.

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?

• The people of Kansas spoke clearly in August of 2022 when abortion was put to a general vote and the restrictions this amendment would have placed on abortion and other reproductive rights was soundly defeated. We need to support and honor the will of the people and stop the continued attempts by the Kansas legislature to interfere with a woman's right to choose her own healthcare. The Kansas legislature is still introducing bills to erode reproductive rights which must be stopped.
• Kansas is one of only 9 states that has not passed Medicaid expansion supported and 90% funded by the Affordable Care Act. The Kansas Institute estimates that at least 150,000 poor Kansans (40,000 of them children) would receive first rate medical insurance. These people receiving medical insurance are often working poor who through bad divorces,, medical debt and just plain bad luck are homeless. I have worked as a volunteer with the InterFaith Hospitality Network (INH) which is a group of churches that house homeless individuals and families while they are trying to get back on their feet financially. This will also make rural Kansas hospitals more financially stable and stave off hospital closures and service reductions.
• I a strong advocate of public education. We need to continue to fully fund Kansas schools to include special education which seems to be a target in the Kansas legislature. I completely against the school voucher bills that have been recently introduced in the Kansas legislature. School vouchers or tax rebates for sending you child to a private school is nothing more that a tax break for the wealthy and upper middle class. it will also erode public school funding and support. In rural Kansas counties the school age population is so small there is no feasible alternative but a single school system and one high school.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Several actually: public education, climate change and changing the image of Kansas. Kansas needs to attract and retain a young talented workforce. Kansas is in fact losing young graduates to other states because both because both business and the younger gen X, gen Z and millennia workers are tired of the culture wars continually legislated in the areas of : abortion, IVF, LGBTQ rights, gender and religious rights. The young have no patience for this and are choosing to live elsewhere. If elected I will try to do my best to end the culture wars that damage the image of Kansas for both attacking new business and attracting new workers.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My dad. He was a really good man. He was my Scoutmaster. He spent WW2 as a Combat Engineer and about another 25 as a Seabee reservist. Religious and public spirited. When I listen to stories about other dads I know I was lucky.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Not really

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

(1) The ability to sort through the chatter and clutter and make voting decisions based on facts. (2) How my vote affect the most vulnerable Kansans (3) How will my vote grow the state economy and improve the image of Kansas.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Digging into the details and doing the research.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

(1) Thoughtful study of all legislation either before the committees I am assigned or for final vote once before the Senate. (2) Continuous communication with the voters of Senate 9 as to what is being discussed in the Senate. (3) Listening to voters and advocacy groups as issues they raise that require legislative action or that require legislative oversight of the executive branch.

What legacy would you like to leave?

An example of public service to my children and telling all that will listen that anyone with the desire and work ethic can run and be elected to office. I think the general public think of elected officials as being special or other and they are not.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The 1956 Presidential Election. I was 6 years old. I knew that President Eisenhower was president but I was always puzzled who Ike was. All of the adults liked Ike but I didn't make the connection between Eisenhower and Ike.

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

Frankie's BBQ. I worked in the BBQ pit for a summer job

What is your favorite book? Why?

Lincoln Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Captain Jack Aubrey from the Patrick O'Brian books

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The Randy Newman song "It is a jungle out there". It is the intro song for the old Monk TV show.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Even if I have been been outwardly successful by most people's standards I never have felt totally good enough.

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

Thoughtful communication about solving the pressing problems of Kansas between the branches of as defined by the state constitution and without one branch of government encroaching on the other. A Governor is not a legislative body and the legislature is not a the chief executive of the state.

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

As I see it the three foremost challenges facing the state are climate change, clean energy and attracting and retaining talented young workers. These problems are separate yet inter-related. Climate change will make Kansas hotter and dryer particularly in the western half of the state. (1) Farmers and ranchers are now facing limits how much water can be extracted from the Ogallala aquifer, and rain and snow melt will become less plentiful. This will have an economic impact on the state as the agricultural yields diminish affecting tax revenues of the state and western counties. A diminished agricultural economy will increase de-population which is already a major problem of Western Kansas. Delivery of health, education, and social services will become less cost effective as western Kansas de-populates. (2) Kansas needs clean energy to grow the economy. Kansas has the potential to generate massive amounts of wind and solar energy but to harness and deliver that energy needs a larger and more sophisticated distribution network, and base load plants that balance the energy on the grid. A base load plant ideally be modular nuclear plant which would be totally carbon free or if not feasible a modern gas cogeneration plant. Coal and older gas plants emit too much carbon should be replaced. (3) Lastly Kansas is in competition for talented young workers and we need to do a better job of retaining young Kansas talent and recruiting from other states. Gen X, gen Z and millennials have little of no patience with the culture war issues of abortion and gender that are continually fought in the Kansas legislature.

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

no

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

Yes, as it is difficult enough to gain agreement on legislation without personal animosities clouding legislative decision making. A legislator will not compromise on closely held beliefs but on other issues less passionately held may be willing to vote for a bill simply because the like who they are working with.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

no

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

no

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

no

Tell us your favorite joke.

I really don't have one. I don't think I am humorless though.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

The question would be for what purpose? There are already statutes governing emergency powers during a natural disaster which is by far the most likely need of emergency powers. I think anything beyond a natural disaster is unlikely and needless speculation. The governor has enough power for what is likely to occur.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

This may occur without me being in the Kansas Senate but Kansas needs to legalize medical marijuana. Medical marijuana has proven medical efficacy for weathering the effects of chemotherapy, orthopedic issues from repetitive use injury, sleep disorders and other applications. This not a big issue if you live on close to the border of Missouri, Oklahoma or Colorado but what if you live in the great interior of the state. Although I cannot quantify the lost tax revenue I am sure there is a lost revenue issue.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Kansas NEA, Kansas Federation of Teachers, Tri-County AFL-CIO

What committees interest you?

Health, Housing and Energy Utilities and Communication

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

This is why we have a State Governmental Ethics Commission. All candidates need to fulfill the reporting requirements of the State Ethics Commission and the commission needs freedom to do it's job without interference from the legislature. Legislation as best as possible needs to be written in a concise form that the voter can understand. To meet this requirement there should be an abstract of each bill (1) with a problem statement as to what the legislation will address or solve (2) how the problem will addressed and (3) who it will affect.

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

Generally I would say no. Historically other states that have had citizen generated ballot initiatives often must clean up wording issues of intent and legality as words have technical and defined meaning beyond common parlance.

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.

Note: Mallicoat submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on September 30, 2024.

Show past responsesHide past responses

August 25 submission

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Norm Mallicoat is retired telecom engineer who has worked for United Telecom, Sprint, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia and Kharafi National and the US Army. Married to Harriet (Hatsie) Mallicoat for 40 years this September with three children.

BS Computer Science - University of Missouri - Kansas City BA Political Science University of Central Missouri Former Captain US Army Former Scoutmaster Troop 412

Active member of St. Andrew Christian Church of Olathe

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?

• Retention and attraction of a skilled and talented workforce
• Medicaid Expansion
• Abortion, IVF and other reproductive rights

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Repairing the image of Kansas as a regressive and unattractive state to live in.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My dad. He was a really good man and public spirited citizen.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The ending of Saving Private Ryan always makes me cry. The scene is when the now sixty-ish Private Ryan stands over the grave of Captain Miller and asks his wife if he was a good man. I spend 5 years in the army and the one thing that was drilled into me that sticks with me to this day is you are judged on everything you do and do not do; in other words ACCOUNTIBILITY.

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

Trying to work across the aisle despite the huge philosophical differences that often exist between the Republican and Democratic parties.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Transparency to a point of stupidity. I do not have a poker face at all.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

(1) Researching the cost benefit analysis of any bill brought forth for a vote. (2) Legislative oversite of the executive branch (3) Communication with the people that elected you.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I want to make Kansas a place that our kids don't want to leave.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

It was the Steel Workers strike of 1959. Many of my fellow elementary school students had dads that worked at the Armco steel plant. This strike lasted for 116 days and I remember in elementary school my teacher telling the class that she knew money may be short at some of their homes and there was something they didn't need to buy or contribute money for . I don't remember the specifics but this is the first time it really dawned on me that some other kids didn't have it as good as me. I was 10.

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

Working in the BBQ pit at Frankie's BBQ. One summer.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Lincoln Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodman

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"It's a Jungle Out There" by Randy Newman. The theme song for Monk.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Never feeling good enough about myself. Even by objective measurement I was successful I never feel that way.

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

Earnest, truthful and plain communication between legislature and Governor as opposed to posturing to the media. No hidden agendas or poison pills added at the last minute to any bill headed to the Governor's desk for signature.

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

(1) Attraction and retention of a skilled and talented workforce. (2) Decline in the western Kansas agricultural economy as the climate change worsens and the Ogallala aquifer is depleted. (3) General depopulation of rural areas.

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

It depends on what they are doing with their experience. Some legislators use their experience to advance policy that is actually hurtful to every day Kansans.

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

Yes. The old adage of you cannot judge a book by it's cover is true. I think people often judge members of the opposite party by the excesses of fringe members, where they are from, gender, or ethnicity. Depending on the specific issue a voter or member of the legislature may have a view at odds with the mainstream of their own party or a unique view not commonly voiced that needs to be heard.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

This is not a unique story. In fact it has become so much more commonplace it is disturbing and deserves serious SCIENTIFIC attention and not the opinions of politicians that think they are scientists. The number adults and children that believe they have been born in the wrong gender has exploded beyond the explanation that there have always existed and they were never allowed to express the gender they identified with. This phenomena has caused deep depression, substance abuse and is breaking marriages and families. The public needs a much deeper and scientific root causation explanation. My growing fear is there is an unknown environmental causation. I would like the University of Kansas, Kansas State University in conjunction with a group of other universities to launch a study to determine if there is an environmental causation or at least a component.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I don't really have one. I guess I am not funny

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

You need to be more specific as to what emergency powers and for how long.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

A bill to direct the Kansas Legislative Research Department to create a research project proposal in conjunction with Kansas State University and the University of Kansas to investigate possible environmental contributors of gender dysphoria. The work product should include scope of investigation and the application for a federal research grant.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Kansas NEA

What committees interest you?

Senate Education, Joint Committee on Information Technology, Senate Transparency and Ethics

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe that being an elected official means that your personal finances are no longer private. Personal financial transparency should be expected and it is not unreasonable for financial data to be reported to the state government.

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

Not sure

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.

Note: Mallicoat submitted the above survey responses to Ballotpedia on August 25, 2024.

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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Norman Mallicoat campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Kansas State Senate District 9	Lost general	$10,590	$0
Grand total			$10,590	$0
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

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Candidate

Kansas State Senate District 9

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Footnotes

[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)