Pam Shernuk

Pam Shernuk (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Kansas House of Representatives to represent District 8. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

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

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Chris Croft defeated Pam Shernuk in the general election for Kansas House of Representatives District 8 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Chris Croft (R)	55.3	7,287
	Pam Shernuk (D)	44.7	5,899

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,186
= 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 House of Representatives District 8

Pam Shernuk advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pam Shernuk	100.0	789

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 789
= 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 House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Chris Croft advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Croft	100.0	1,505

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,505
= 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

Shernuk received the following endorsements.

Stand Up Blue Valley

2022

General election

General election for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Chris Croft defeated Pam Shernuk in the general election for Kansas House of Representatives District 8 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Chris Croft (R)	54.5	5,451
	Pam Shernuk (D)	45.5	4,555

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,006
= 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 House of Representatives District 8

Pam Shernuk advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Pam Shernuk	100.0	2,698

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,698
= 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 House of Representatives District 8

Incumbent Chris Croft advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chris Croft	100.0	4,452

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 4,452
= 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

To view Shernuk's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

Pam Shernuk completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shernuk'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 am a lifelong Kansan who has lived in Overland Park for 34 years. I have a master's degree from the University of Kansas in public administration. I have a background in communications and retired from the Blue Valley School District in 2015. After retiring, I was appointed to the Johnson County Commission on Aging, where I served as chair for more than two years. I have served on several local boards and committees and currently serve as a member of the board of directors for Kansas Advocates for Better Care, which advocates for quality care in long term care facilities, as well as quality and affordable in home care for our seniors. I also currently serve on the Blue Valley School District Communications Board Advisory Committee and volunteer at a local elementary school. Both of our sons attended and graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School. My husband and I have two married sons and two grandsons.

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?

Public Education: Our public schools are the economic engine of this County and deserve to be fully funded and staffed. I am running because my opponent supports school vouchers and I believe that our public tax dollars should remain with our public schools. We must also FULLY fund our special education students. This past legislative session, the legislature funded special education for ONE year. Our students deserve better than this and we must fund ALL of our students EVERY year. Failure to fund special education affects all of our students and adversely impacts our teachers. I am also in favor of giving our teachers a Cost of Living Increase. They have not had a COLA adjustment in more than 20 years.
Healthcare: I support Medicaid Expansion and a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions. Currently, Kansas is one of only 10 states that has not passed Medicaid Expansion. Every Kansan deserves to have access to quality, affordable healthcare. By not expanding Medicaid, we are sending millions of our tax dollars to other states and risk the closure of multiple rural hospitals. In August 2022, Kansans spoke loud and clear at the ballot box. Politicians have no right standing between a woman and her doctor. However, since the August 2022 vote, there have been approximately 40 bills introduced that chip away at women's rights. In HD8, more than 64% of the voters said NO WAY, yet my opponent continues to support these bills.
Taxes and Economy: I will advocate for a fair tax structure that does not overly burden middle- and lower-income working class families. Small businesses are critical to our local economy. I will work to provide tax incentives and support programs that help small businesses grow and create jobs, ensuring they have the resources to thrive in our community. I will advocate for transparency and accountability in government spending, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are invested in programs and services that provide the greatest benefit to our community. I am a fiscal conservative and believe that the state should live within its means.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Education

Women's Rights
Voter Rights
Advocating for our aging population

Tax Relief

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

Again, my father. For reasons I have already stated.

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

n/a

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

Elected officials should possess a combination of the following: Integrity, Accountability, Leadership skills, Empathy, Competency and a willingness to put their constituents before party politics and outside influences, such as dark money PACs.

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

I have a servant's heart and want to do as much good as I can for as long as I can.

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

The number one responsibility is to represent the folks who live in your district-the ones who voted for you, as well as the ones who didn't. Regular communication is imperative. Transparency and the willingness to embrace and listen to all sides is also important.

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

I remember the assassination of JFK. I was seven years old. The school custodian came into our classroom and told us what had happened and we were all sent home from school.

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

My very first job was working for my father in his furniture store in Winfield, Kansas. I don't remember how long I had it. Probably not very long.

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

The ideal relationship between the governor and the state legislature should consist of mutual respect, bi-partisanship and communication. Effective governance often requires compromise. Both the Governor and the legislature should be willing to negotiate and find common ground on key issues. Both the Governor and the legislature should engage with the public and consider their input on important issues. This can be done through town hall meetings, public hearings, and other forums that allow citizens to voice their opinions and concerns.

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

One of our greatest challenges will be fighting off extremism. We must work to ensure that moderate voices prevail as we look to the future. Other challenges over the next decade are multifaceted, involving economic diversification, healthcare access, education funding, infrastructure improvement, environmental sustainability, agricultural viability, and population retention. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach, involving collaboration between government, businesses, and communities to create a resilient and prosperous future for all Kansans.

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

Not necessarily. People running for the legislature should have a passion to serve and be willing to represent their constituents equally and fairly.

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

Of course. Working with other legislators is the key to getting things done. It's important to understand all perspectives and interests when making decisions, and building relationships with others is the best way to do that. For example, those representing rural communities may have different viewpoints and interests about issues than those representing the suburbs. All points of view should be respected and considered.

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

Yes, my father. My dad, Pete McGill, served in the Kansas legislature for 20 years, serving as Speaker of the House from 1975-1977. He is my role-model. He was a moderate Republican who was known for reaching across the aisle. In 1976, he accepted an award in Williamsburg, Virginia for "The Most Improved Legislature in the Country." He was so proud of that award and gave credit to EVERYONE who worked in a bipartisan manner to make it happen. He sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear everyday.

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

No. This is where I want to be. I want to honor my dad and serve my community.

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?

n/a

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

I would prefer a balanced approach that combines the need for swift executive action with robust legislative oversight to ensure accountability and protect civil liberties. This approach might include:

Temporary Emergency Powers with Legislative Review: Granting the executive temporary emergency powers subject to legislative review and approval for extensions beyond a certain period.
Regular Reporting and Transparency: Requiring regular reports to the legislature and the public on actions taken under emergency powers.

Bipartisan Oversight Committees: Establishing bipartisan legislative committees to provide timely oversight and input during emergencies.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

I would need to give this more thought and collect in put from my constituents.

What committees interest you?

K-12 Education Committee

Any committee that deals with addressing issues facing our senior population
Any committee that would help move Medicaid expansion forward.

I am also interested in committees that address homelessness, affordable housing and mental health.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

I believe that financial transparency and government accountability are essential for a healthy democracy. These principles ensure that government actions are visible to the public, officials are held to high ethical standards, and there is a system in place to detect and address inefficiencies or malfeasance. This approach not only builds public trust but also promotes more effective and fair governance.

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

Whether a state ballot initiative process would be good or bad for Kansas largely depends on how it is structured and implemented. It could empower citizens and address neglected issues, but it also poses risks of special interest manipulation and policy instability. Careful consideration and design of the process, along with safeguards to ensure voter understanding and minimize undue influence, would be crucial to making it beneficial for the state.

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.

2022

Pam Shernuk completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Shernuk'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 am a lifelong Kansan and have lived in Overland Park for 32 years. I received my master's degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and retired from the Blue Valley School District in 2015. I serve on the board of directors for several local organizations, including serving as chair of the Johnson County Commission on Aging. I am married and have two married sons and two grandchildren.

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?

I support a woman's right to make her own healthcare decisions.
I support fully funding public education, including special education, and making sure public tax dollars are spent on public schools.
I support the immediate elimination of the sales tax on food, as well as restoring the LAVTRF so we can provide property tax relief to homeowners.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public Education

Healthcare (including Medicaid Expansion and a Woman's right to choose)

Taking care of our senior population

Safe schools and communities

Lowering taxes

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.

Pam Shernuk campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Kansas House of Representatives District 8	Lost general	$48,895	$0
2022	Kansas House of Representatives District 8	Lost general	$19,647	$0
Grand total			$68,541	$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

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Personal

Footnotes

[show]

Current members of the Kansas House of Representatives

Leadership

Speaker of the House:Daniel Hawkins

Majority Leader:Chris Croft

Minority Leader:Brandon Woodard

Representatives

District 1

Dale Helwig (R)

District 2

Kenneth Collins (R)

District 3

Chuck Smith (R)

District 4

Rick James (R)

District 5

Carrie Barth (R)

District 6

Samantha Poetter (R)

District 7

Dan Goddard (R)

District 8

Chris Croft (R)

District 9

Fred Gardner (R)

District 10

Suzanne Wikle (D)

District 11

Ron Bryce (R)

District 12

Doug Blex (R)

District 13

Duane Droge (R)

District 14

Charlotte Esau (R)

District 15

Lauren Bohi (R)

District 16

Linda Featherston (D)

District 17

Jo Ella Hoye (D)

District 18

Cindy Neighbor (D)

District 19

Stephanie Clayton (D)

District 20

Mari-Lynn Poskin (D)

District 21

Jerry Stogsdill (D)

District 22

Lindsay Vaughn (D)

District 23

Susan Ruiz (D)

District 24

Jarrod Ousley (D)

District 25

Rui Xu (D)

District 26

Chip VanHouden (R)

District 27

Sean Tarwater (R)

District 28

Carl Turner (R)

District 29

Heather Meyer (D)

District 30

Laura Williams (R)

District 31

Louis Ruiz (D)

District 32

Pam Curtis (D)

District 33

Carolyn Caiharr (R)

District 34

Valdenia Winn (D)

District 35

Wanda Paige (D)

District 36

Lynn Melton (D)

District 37

Melissa Oropeza (D)

District 38

Timothy Johnson (R)

District 39

Angela Stiens (R)

District 40

David Buehler (R)

District 41

Pat Proctor (R)

District 42

Lance Neelly (R)

District 43

Bill Sutton (R)

District 44

Barbara Ballard (D)

District 45

Mike Amyx (D)

District 46

Brooklynne Mosley (D)

District 47

Ronald Ellis (R)

District 48

Dan Osman (D)

District 49

Nikki McDonald (D)

District 50

Kyle McNorton (R)

District 51

Megan Steele (R)

District 52

Jesse Borjon (R)

District 53

Kirk Haskins (D)

District 54

Ken Corbet (R)

District 55

Tobias Schlingensiepen (D)

District 56

Virgil Weigel (D)

District 57

John Alcala (D)

District 58

Alexis Simmons (D)

District 59

Rebecca Schmoe (R)

District 60

Mark Schreiber (R)

District 61

Francis Awerkamp (R)

District 62

Sean Willcott (R)

District 63

Allen Reavis (R)

District 64

Lewis Bloom (R)

District 65

Shawn Chauncey (R)

District 66

Sydney Carlin (D)

District 67

Angel Roeser (R)

District 68

Nathan Butler (R)

District 69

Clarke Sanders (R)

District 70

Greg Wilson (R)

District 71

Steven Howe (R)

District 72

Avery Anderson (R)

District 73

Rick Wilborn (R)

District 74

Mike King (R)

District 75

Will Carpenter (R)

District 76

Brad Barrett (R)

District 77

Kristey Williams (R)

District 78

Robyn Essex (R)

District 79

Webster Roth (R)

District 80

Bill Rhiley (R)

District 81

Blake Carpenter (R)

District 82

Leah Howell (R)

District 83

Henry Helgerson (D)

District 84

Ford Carr (D)

District 85

Steven Brunk (R)

District 86

Silas Miller (D)

District 87

Susan Estes (R)

District 88

Sandy Pickert (R)

District 89

KC Ohaebosim (D)

District 90

Steve Huebert (R)

District 91

Emil Bergquist (R)

District 92

John Carmichael (D)

District 93

Brian Bergkamp (R)

District 94

Leo Delperdang (R)

District 95

Tom Sawyer (D)

District 96

Tom Kessler (R)

District 97

Nick Hoheisel (R)

District 98

Cyndi Howerton (R)

District 99

Susan Humphries (R)

District 100

Daniel Hawkins (R)

District 101

Joe Seiwert (R)

District 102

Kyler Sweely (R)

District 103

Angela Martinez (D)

District 104

Paul Waggoner (R)

District 105

Jill Ward (R)

District 106

Lisa Moser (R)

District 107

Dawn Wolf (R)

District 108

Brandon Woodard (D)

District 109

Troy Waymaster (R)

District 110

Ken Rahjes (R)

District 111

Barbara Wasinger (R)

District 112

Sherri Brantley (R)

District 113

Brett Fairchild (R)

District 114

Kevin Schwertfeger (R)

District 115

Gary White (R)

District 116

Kyle Hoffman (R)

District 117

Adam Turk (R)

District 118

Jim Minnix (R)

District 119

Jason Goetz (R)

District 120

Adam Smith (R)

District 121

John Resman (R)

District 122

Lon Pishny (R)

District 123

Bob Lewis (R)

District 124

Martin Long (R)

District 125

Shannon Francis (R)

Republican Party (88)

Democratic Party (37)

	v • e State of Kansas Topeka (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Pam Shernuk

Contents

Elections

2024

General election

General election for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Endorsements

2022

General election

General election for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 8

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

2022

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

SITE NAVIGATION