William Naeger

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

William Naeger

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 4, 2025

Education

High school

Topeka High School

Bachelor's

Kansas State University, 2017

Law

Washburn School of Law, 2022

Personal

Birthplace

Topeka, Kan.

Religion

Methodist

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

William Naeger ran for election to the Topeka City Council to represent District 1 in Kansas. He lost in the general election on November 4, 2025.

Naeger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

William Naeger was born in Topeka, Kansas. He graduated from Topeka High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Kansas State University in 2017 and a law degree from the Washburn School of Law in 2022. His career experience includes working as an attorney.

Elections

2025

See also: City elections in Topeka, Kansas (2025)

General election

General election for Topeka City Council District 1

Incumbent Karen Hiller defeated William Naeger in the general election for Topeka City Council District 1 on November 4, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Karen Hiller (Nonpartisan)	50.8	691
		William Naeger (Nonpartisan)	48.1	654
		Other/Write-in votes	1.1	15

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 1,360
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Topeka City Council District 1

The following candidates ran in the primary for Topeka City Council District 1 on August 5, 2025.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Karen Hiller (Nonpartisan)	45.1	377
✔		William Naeger (Nonpartisan)	23.9	200
		Jolie Lippitt (Nonpartisan)	14.4	120
	Submit photo	Brendan Jensen (Nonpartisan)	8.3	69
		Tyler Jaggers (Nonpartisan)	6.2	52
	Submit photo	Eli Bohannan (Nonpartisan)	2.2	18

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 836
= 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 Naeger in this election.

Campaign themes

2025

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

William Naeger completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Naeger'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 used to work in mental health with young woman, many of whom had experienced sexual violence. Then I worked in Governor Laura Kelly’s office. Now I am a public defender. I regularly go to the jail and talk to clients about homelessness, addiction, poverty, trouble keeping a job, and why they felt like committing a crime was the best option that they had left. I am running because I want those experiences to inform policy making at the city and because I want Topeka to be somewhere our kids and grandkids can be safe, happy, and healthy without moving far away.

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?

• Focus tax dollars on core government. Roads, public safety, and utilities should be the city's priorities.
• Sell Hotel Topeka. Over ten million dollars has been spent on the hotel. The city should find a buyer as soon as they can to avoid even more public funds going into it.
• Focus on cost of living. Whether it is property taxes, sales tax, or costs - the city should keep cost of living down.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

One of my top priorities is funding the affordable housing trust fund. The city has a housing trust fund, but doesn't support it so it doesn't get used. The trust fund is a great tool to help the city stabilize neighborhoods, fix housing that is falling apart, and bring new life to areas where the rest of us are already paying for the roads and services in place.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

It is really about getting the work done. We aren't there to push the agenda of a political party. We are there to make sure the basics like snow removal and code enforcement happen like they should.

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

A healthy mix of being well thought out and decisive. Government needs to do it's best to be responsive to concerns across the community, but we shouldn't get bogged down to the point that we are earning the reputation government has for being slow.

And listening. I know that no matter how much experience I have as an attorney or from state government, every time I talk to a constituent that they will know something that I don't know yet.

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

Fixing the roads, supporting jobs particularly small local businesses, and upholding public safety.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Making Topeka and Kansas the place that young families see a future where they can be happy, healthy, and safe.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes and I have that experience. I worked in Governor Laura Kelly's office.

I now represent poor clients as an attorney. I learn from them about the struggles of homelessness, addiction, poverty, and trouble keeping a job.

I have gotten laws passed at Topeka's city council too. I led the successful efforts to prohibit discrimination in the city on the basis of veteran status, sexuality, or genetic information.

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.

See also

2025 Elections

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Candidate

Topeka City Council District 1

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