Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2018

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2020
2016
2018 Kansas
House elections
Flag of Kansas.png
PrimaryAugust 7, 2018
GeneralNovember 6, 2018
Past election results
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2018 elections
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Republicans held their supermajority in the 2018 elections for Kansas House of Representatives, winning 85 seats to Democrats' 40. All 125 House seats were up for election. At the time of the election, Republicans held 85 seats to Democrats' 40.

Republicans lost trifecta control of the state. At the time of the 2018 election, Kansas was a Republican trifecta, controlling both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office. In 2018, state Sen. Laura Kelly (D) defeated state Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) in the gubernatorial election.

The Kansas House of Representatives was one of 87 state legislative chambers with elections in 2018. There are 99 chambers throughout the country. In 2017, three chambers in Virginia and New Jersey were up for election. In 2016, 86 out of 99 legislative chambers held elections. Prior to 2018, the Kansas House of Representatives last held elections in 2016.

Ballotpedia identified the August 7, 2018, Republican primaries as battleground primaries.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

Post-election analysis

See also: State legislative elections, 2018

The Republican Party maintained supermajority status in both chambers of the Kansas State Legislature following the 2018 election. The state Senate did not hold regular elections. The Kansas House of Representatives held elections for all 125 seats. The Republican supermajority in the House of Representatives was maintained at 85-40. Seven Republican incumbents were defeated in the primary. Eight incumbents were defeated in the general election; five Democrats and three Republicans.

National background

On November 6, 2018, 87 of the nation's 99 state legislative chambers held regularly scheduled elections for 6,073 of 7,383 total seats, meaning that nearly 82 percent of all state legislative seats were up for election.

  • Entering the 2018 election, Democrats held 42.6 percent, Republicans held 56.8 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.6 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • Following the 2018 election, Democrats held 47.3 percent, Republicans held 52.3 percent, and independents and other parties held 0.4 percent of the seats up for regular election.
  • A total of 469 incumbents were defeated over the course of the election cycle, with roughly one-third of them defeated in the primary.

Want more information?

Candidates

See also: Statistics on state legislative candidates, 2018

General election candidates

Kansas House of Representatives General Election 2018

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Houser (i)

District 2

Adam Lusker (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKenneth Collins

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngMonica Murnan (i)

Terry Calloway

District 4

Lawrence Forbach

Green check mark transparent.pngTrevor Jacobs (i)

District 5

Lassey Murphy

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Samsel

District 6

Green check mark transparent.pngJene Vickrey (i)

District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Proehl (i)

District 8

Michele Lobitz

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Croft

District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngKent Thompson (i)

District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngEileen Horn (i)

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Kelly (i)

District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngDoug Blex (i)

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngLarry Paul Hibbard (i)

District 14

Angela Justus Schweller  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngCharlotte Esau

District 15

Chris Haulmark

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Toplikar

District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngCindy Holscher (i)  Candidate Connection

Susan Huff

District 17

Laura Smith-Everett  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Cox (i)

Michael Kerner (Libertarian Party)

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngCindy Neighbor (i)

Eric Jenkins

District 19

Stephen Wyatt

Green check mark transparent.pngStephanie Clayton (i)

District 20

Becky Barber

Green check mark transparent.pngJan Kessinger (i)

District 21

Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Stogsdill (i)

District 22

Green check mark transparent.pngNancy Lusk (i)

District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Ruiz

Linda Gallagher (i)

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngJarrod Ousley (i)

District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngRui Xu

Melissa Rooker (i)

District 26

Deann Mitchell

Green check mark transparent.pngAdam Thomas

District 27

Nicole Rome

Green check mark transparent.pngSean Tarwater Sr. (i)

District 28

Brian Clausen

Green check mark transparent.pngKellie Warren

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngBrett Parker (i)  Candidate Connection

James Todd

Robert Firestone (Libertarian Party)

District 30

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Woodard

Wendy Bingesser  Candidate Connection

District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngLouis Ruiz (i)

District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngPam Curtis (i)

District 33

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Burroughs (i)

Jason Conley (Libertarian Party)

District 34

Green check mark transparent.pngValdenia Winn (i)

District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngBroderick Henderson (i)

District 36

Green check mark transparent.pngKathy Wolfe Moore (i)

Chiquita Coggs

District 37

Green check mark transparent.pngStan Frownfelter (i)

District 38

Stuart Sweeney

Green check mark transparent.pngWillie Dove (i)

District 39

Michael Bolton

Green check mark transparent.pngOwen Donohoe

District 40

Debbie Deere (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid French

District 41

Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Pittman (i)

Tony Barton

District 42

Thea Perry

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Karleskint (i)

District 43

Pamela Finley

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Sutton (i)

District 44

Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara Ballard (i)

District 45

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Amyx

Cynthia Smith

District 46

Green check mark transparent.pngDennis Highberger (i)

District 47

George Hanna

Green check mark transparent.pngRonald Ellis (i)

District 48

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Benson

Abraham Rafie (i)

District 49

Darnell Hunt

Green check mark transparent.pngMegan Lynn

District 50

Down River Dan Brennan

Green check mark transparent.pngFred Patton (i)

District 51

Noah Wright

Green check mark transparent.pngRon Highland (i)

District 52

Toni Scalia

Green check mark transparent.pngBrenda Dietrich (i)

District 53

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Gartner (i)

District 54

Sarah Coats

Green check mark transparent.pngKen Corbet (i)

District 55

Green check mark transparent.pngAnnie Kuether (i)

District 56

Green check mark transparent.pngVirgil Weigel (i)

Michael Snowden

District 57

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Alcala (i)

District 58

Green check mark transparent.pngVic Miller (i)

District 59

John Hall

Green check mark transparent.pngBlaine Finch (i)

District 60

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Schreiber (i)

District 61

Green check mark transparent.pngFrancis Awerkamp (i)

District 62

Melvin Baker

Green check mark transparent.pngRandy Garber (i)

District 63

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Eplee (i)

District 64

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Carlson

District 65

Green check mark transparent.pngLonnie Clark (i)

District 66

Green check mark transparent.pngSydney Carlin (i)

Edgar Chambers (Libertarian Party)

District 67

Alex Van Dyke

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Phillips (i)

District 68

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Baker (i)

District 69

Gerrett Morris

Green check mark transparent.pngJ.R. Claeys (i)

District 70

Jo Schwartz

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn E. Barker (i)

District 71

Green check mark transparent.pngDiana Dierks (i)

District 72

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Hodge (i)

Steven Kelly

District 73

Green check mark transparent.pngLes Mason (i)

District 74

Green check mark transparent.pngStephen Owens

District 75

Green check mark transparent.pngWill Carpenter

District 76

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Smith (i)

District 77

Green check mark transparent.pngKristey Williams (i)

District 78

Jason Darby

Green check mark transparent.pngRon Ryckman (i)

District 79

Ed Trimmer (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngCheryl Helmer

District 80

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Rhiley

District 81

Shala Perez

Green check mark transparent.pngBlake Carpenter (i)

District 82

Danette Harris

Green check mark transparent.pngJesse Burris (i)

District 83

Green check mark transparent.pngHenry Helgerson (i)

David Robbins

District 84

Green check mark transparent.pngGail Finney (i)

District 85

Monica Marks

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Capps (i)

District 86

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Ward (i)

Jim Price

District 87

Green check mark transparent.pngRenee Erickson

District 88

Green check mark transparent.pngElizabeth Bishop (i)

District 89

Green check mark transparent.pngKC Ohaebosim (i)

District 90

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Huebert (i)

District 91

Green check mark transparent.pngEmil Bergquist (i)

David Loomis (Libertarian Party)

District 92

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Carmichael (i)  Candidate Connection

District 93

Clifton Beck

Green check mark transparent.pngJ.C. Moore

District 94

Dan Stiffler

Green check mark transparent.pngLeo Delperdang (i)

District 95

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Sawyer (i)

District 96

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Whipple (i)

District 97

Beckie Jenek

Green check mark transparent.pngNick Hoheisel

District 98

Steven Crum (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngRon Howard

District 99

Kristi Kirk

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Humphries (i)

District 100

Jennifer Winn

Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Hawkins (i)

District 101

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Seiwert (i)

District 102

Green check mark transparent.pngJason Probst (i)

District 103

Green check mark transparent.pngPonka-We Victors (i)

District 104

Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Waggoner

District 105

Green check mark transparent.pngBrenda Landwehr (i)

District 106

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Pannbacker

District 107

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan L. Concannon (i)

Bryan Bombardier (Libertarian Party)  Candidate Connection

District 108

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven C. Johnson (i)

District 109

Green check mark transparent.pngTroy L. Waymaster (i)

District 110

Kim Thomas

Green check mark transparent.pngKen Rahjes (i)

District 111

Eber Phelps (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara Wasinger  Candidate Connection

District 112

Green check mark transparent.pngTory Marie Blew (i)

District 113

David Curtis

Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Lewis (i)

District 114

Shanna Henry

Green check mark transparent.pngJack Thimesch (i)

District 115

Green check mark transparent.pngBoyd Orr (i)

District 116

Green check mark transparent.pngKyle Hoffman (i)

District 117

Green check mark transparent.pngLeonard Mastroni (i)

District 118

Green check mark transparent.pngDon Hineman (i)

District 119

Green check mark transparent.pngBradley Ralph (i)

District 120

Jerry Hill

Green check mark transparent.pngAdam Smith (i)

District 121

Nick Gill  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Resman (i)

District 122

Green check mark transparent.pngRuss Jennings (i)

District 123

Pedro Rodriguez

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Wheeler Jr. (i)

District 124

Green check mark transparent.pngMartin Long

District 125

Green check mark transparent.pngShannon Francis (i)

Primary candidates

The following list of candidates was compiled on June 5, 2018, based on information from the Kansas Secretary of State.[1]

Kansas House of Representatives Primary Elections 2018

  • Incumbents are marked with an (i) after their name.
  • Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Office Democratic Party Democratic Republican Party Republican Other
District 1

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Houser (i)

District 2

Green check mark transparent.pngAdam Lusker (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngKenneth Collins

District 3

Green check mark transparent.pngMonica Murnan (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTerry Calloway

District 4

Green check mark transparent.pngLawrence Forbach

Green check mark transparent.pngTrevor Jacobs (i)

District 5

Green check mark transparent.pngLassey Murphy

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Samsel
Renee Slinkard

District 6

Green check mark transparent.pngJene Vickrey (i)
Clifford Blackmore

District 7

Green check mark transparent.pngRichard Proehl (i)

District 8

Green check mark transparent.pngMichele Lobitz

Patty Markley (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngChris Croft

District 9

Green check mark transparent.pngKent Thompson (i)

District 10

Green check mark transparent.pngEileen Horn (i)

District 11

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Kelly (i)
John Lowrance  Candidate Connection

District 12

Green check mark transparent.pngDoug Blex (i)
Brad Hall

District 13

Green check mark transparent.pngLarry Paul Hibbard (i)
Londa Tindle

District 14

Green check mark transparent.pngAngela Justus Schweller  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngCharlotte Esau
Tom Stanion
Aaron Young

District 15

Green check mark transparent.pngChris Haulmark

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Toplikar

District 16

Green check mark transparent.pngCindy Holscher (i)  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Huff

District 17

Green check mark transparent.pngLaura Smith-Everett  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Cox (i)
Jim Eschrich

District 18

Green check mark transparent.pngCindy Neighbor (i)
Andrew Hurla

Cathy Gordon
Green check mark transparent.pngEric Jenkins

District 19

Green check mark transparent.pngStephen Wyatt

Green check mark transparent.pngStephanie Clayton (i)

District 20

Green check mark transparent.pngBecky Barber

Green check mark transparent.pngJan Kessinger (i)

District 21

Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Stogsdill (i)

District 22

Green check mark transparent.pngNancy Lusk (i)
Michael Coleman III

District 23

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Ruiz

Green check mark transparent.pngLinda Gallagher (i)

District 24

Green check mark transparent.pngJarrod Ousley (i)

District 25

Green check mark transparent.pngRui Xu

Green check mark transparent.pngMelissa Rooker (i)

District 26

Green check mark transparent.pngDeann Mitchell

Green check mark transparent.pngAdam Thomas

District 27

Green check mark transparent.pngNicole Rome

Green check mark transparent.pngSean Tarwater Sr. (i)
Rochelle Bird
Karen Snyder

District 28

Green check mark transparent.pngBrian Clausen

Joy Koesten (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngKellie Warren

District 29

Green check mark transparent.pngBrett Parker (i)  Candidate Connection

Peggy Galvin
Green check mark transparent.pngJames Todd

District 30

Matthew Calcara
Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Woodard

Green check mark transparent.pngWendy Bingesser  Candidate Connection
Colleen Webster

District 31

Green check mark transparent.pngLouis Ruiz (i)

District 32

Green check mark transparent.pngPam Curtis (i)

District 33

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Burroughs (i)

District 34

Green check mark transparent.pngValdenia Winn (i)

District 35

Green check mark transparent.pngBroderick Henderson (i)

District 36

Green check mark transparent.pngKathy Wolfe Moore (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngChiquita Coggs

District 37

Green check mark transparent.pngStan Frownfelter (i)

District 38

Green check mark transparent.pngStuart Sweeney

Green check mark transparent.pngWillie Dove (i)
Noel Hull

District 39

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Bolton

Kristy Acree
Green check mark transparent.pngOwen Donohoe

District 40

Green check mark transparent.pngDebbie Deere (i)
Donald Terrien

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid French

District 41

Green check mark transparent.pngJeff Pittman (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngTony Barton

District 42

Green check mark transparent.pngThea Perry

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Karleskint (i)
Lance Neelly

District 43

Green check mark transparent.pngPamela Finley

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Sutton (i)

District 44

Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara Ballard (i)

District 45

Green check mark transparent.pngMike Amyx
Steven Davis
Aidan Loveland Koster

Green check mark transparent.pngCynthia Smith
Ronald Thacker

District 46

Green check mark transparent.pngDennis Highberger (i)
Benjamin Ferlo

District 47

Green check mark transparent.pngGeorge Hanna

Green check mark transparent.pngRonald Ellis (i)

District 48

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Benson

Green check mark transparent.pngAbraham Rafie (i)

District 49

Green check mark transparent.pngDarnell Hunt

Fsehazion Desalegn
Green check mark transparent.pngMegan Lynn

District 50

Green check mark transparent.pngDown River Dan Brennan

Green check mark transparent.pngFred Patton (i)

District 51

Green check mark transparent.pngNoah Wright

Green check mark transparent.pngRon Highland (i)

District 52

Green check mark transparent.pngToni Scalia

Green check mark transparent.pngBrenda Dietrich (i)

District 53

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Gartner (i)

District 54

Green check mark transparent.pngSarah Coats

Green check mark transparent.pngKen Corbet (i)

District 55

Green check mark transparent.pngAnnie Kuether (i)
Joseph Stringer

District 56

Green check mark transparent.pngVirgil Weigel (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Snowden

District 57

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Alcala (i)

District 58

Green check mark transparent.pngVic Miller (i)

District 59

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Hall

Green check mark transparent.pngBlaine Finch (i)
Shari Weber

District 60

Green check mark transparent.pngMark Schreiber (i)

District 61

Green check mark transparent.pngFrancis Awerkamp (i)

District 62

Green check mark transparent.pngMelvin Baker

Green check mark transparent.pngRandy Garber (i)

District 63

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Eplee (i)

District 64

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Carlson
Kathy Martin

District 65

Green check mark transparent.pngLonnie Clark (i)

District 66

Green check mark transparent.pngSydney Carlin (i)

District 67

Green check mark transparent.pngAlex Van Dyke

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Phillips (i)

District 68

Green check mark transparent.pngDave Baker (i)

District 69

Green check mark transparent.pngGerrett Morris

Green check mark transparent.pngJ.R. Claeys (i)

District 70

Green check mark transparent.pngJo Schwartz

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn E. Barker (i)

District 71

Green check mark transparent.pngDiana Dierks (i)

District 72

Green check mark transparent.pngTim Hodge (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven Kelly

District 73

Green check mark transparent.pngLes Mason (i)

District 74

Don Schroeder (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngStephen Owens

District 75

Mary Martha Good (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngWill Carpenter

District 76

Green check mark transparent.pngEric Smith (i)

District 77

Green check mark transparent.pngKristey Williams (i)

District 78

Green check mark transparent.pngJason Darby

Green check mark transparent.pngRon Ryckman (i)

District 79

Green check mark transparent.pngEd Trimmer (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngCheryl Helmer

District 80

Anita Judd-Jenkins (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngBill Rhiley

District 81

Green check mark transparent.pngShala Perez

Green check mark transparent.pngBlake Carpenter (i)

District 82

Green check mark transparent.pngDanette Harris

Green check mark transparent.pngJesse Burris (i)

District 83

Green check mark transparent.pngHenry Helgerson (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Robbins

District 84

Green check mark transparent.pngGail Finney (i)

District 85

Green check mark transparent.pngMonica Marks

Green check mark transparent.pngMichael Capps (i)

District 86

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Ward (i)
Alexander Vulgamore

Green check mark transparent.pngJim Price

District 87

Green check mark transparent.pngRenee Erickson
Jeff Kennedy

District 88

Green check mark transparent.pngElizabeth Bishop (i)

District 89

Green check mark transparent.pngKC Ohaebosim (i)
Marty Keenan
LeSean Tarkington

District 90

Green check mark transparent.pngSteve Huebert (i)

District 91

Green check mark transparent.pngEmil Bergquist (i)

District 92

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Carmichael (i)  Candidate Connection

District 93

Green check mark transparent.pngClifton Beck

John Whitmer (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngJ.C. Moore

District 94

Green check mark transparent.pngDan Stiffler

Green check mark transparent.pngLeo Delperdang (i)

District 95

Green check mark transparent.pngTom Sawyer (i)

District 96

Green check mark transparent.pngBrandon Whipple (i)

District 97

Green check mark transparent.pngBeckie Jenek

Green check mark transparent.pngNick Hoheisel
Michael Walker

District 98

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven Crum (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngRon Howard

District 99

Green check mark transparent.pngKristi Kirk
Gerald Winget

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan Humphries (i)

District 100

Green check mark transparent.pngJennifer Winn

Green check mark transparent.pngDaniel Hawkins (i)
James Breitenbach

District 101

Green check mark transparent.pngJoe Seiwert (i)

District 102

Green check mark transparent.pngJason Probst (i)

District 103

Green check mark transparent.pngPonka-We Victors (i)

District 104

Steven R. Becker (i)
Green check mark transparent.pngPaul Waggoner

District 105

Green check mark transparent.pngBrenda Landwehr (i)

District 106

Green check mark transparent.pngBill Pannbacker

District 107

Green check mark transparent.pngSusan L. Concannon (i)
Sam Sacco

District 108

Green check mark transparent.pngSteven C. Johnson (i)

District 109

Green check mark transparent.pngTroy L. Waymaster (i)

District 110

Green check mark transparent.pngKim Thomas

Green check mark transparent.pngKen Rahjes (i)

District 111

Green check mark transparent.pngEber Phelps (i)

Green check mark transparent.pngBarbara Wasinger  Candidate Connection

District 112

Green check mark transparent.pngTory Marie Blew (i)

District 113

Green check mark transparent.pngDavid Curtis
David Serrault

Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Lewis (i)
Brett Fairchild

District 114

Green check mark transparent.pngShanna Henry

Green check mark transparent.pngJack Thimesch (i)

District 115

Green check mark transparent.pngBoyd Orr (i)

District 116

Green check mark transparent.pngKyle Hoffman (i)

District 117

Green check mark transparent.pngLeonard Mastroni (i)

District 118

Green check mark transparent.pngDon Hineman (i)

District 119

Green check mark transparent.pngBradley Ralph (i)

District 120

Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Hill

Green check mark transparent.pngAdam Smith (i)

District 121

Green check mark transparent.pngNick Gill  Candidate Connection

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Resman (i)

District 122

Green check mark transparent.pngRuss Jennings (i)

District 123

Green check mark transparent.pngPedro Rodriguez

Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Wheeler Jr. (i)

District 124

Jeffrey Locke
Green check mark transparent.pngMartin Long

District 125

Green check mark transparent.pngShannon Francis (i)

Incumbents retiring

Thirteen incumbents did not run for re-election in 2018.[2] Those incumbents were:

Name Party Current Office
Kevin Jones Ends.png Republican House District 5
Keith Esau Ends.png Republican House District 14
Erin Davis Ends.png Republican House District 15
Frank Trimboli Ends.png Republican House District 26
Randy Powell Ends.png Republican House District 30
Shelee Brim Ends.png Republican House District 39
Thomas Sloan Ends.png Republican House District 45
Scott Schwab Ends.png Republican House District 49
Susie Swanson Ends.png Republican House District 64
Roger Elliott Ends.png Republican House District 87
Leslie Osterman Ends.png Republican House District 97
Clay Aurand Ends.png Republican House District 106
J. Stephen Alford Ends.png Republican House District 124

Margins of victory

See also: Margin of victory analysis for the 2018 state legislative elections

A margin of victory (MOV) analysis for the 2018 Kansas House of Representatives races is presented in this section. MOV represents the percentage of total votes that separated the winner and the second-place finisher. For example, if the winner of a race received 47 percent of the vote and the second-place finisher received 45 percent of the vote, the MOV is 2 percent.

The table below presents the following figures for each party:

  • Elections won
  • Elections won by less than 10 percentage points
  • Elections won without opposition
  • Average margin of victory[3]
Kansas House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory Analysis
Party Elections won Elections won by less than 10% Unopposed elections Average margin of victory[3]
Democratic Party Democratic
40
7
23
18.6%
Republican Party Republican
85
13
37
24.5%
Grey.png Other
0
0
0
N/A
Total
125
20
60
21.6%



The margin of victory in each race is presented below. The list is sorted from the closest MOV to the largest (including unopposed races).

Kansas House of Representatives: 2018 Margin of Victory by District
District Winning Party Losing Party Margin of Victory
Kansas House of Representatives District 111
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 48
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
0.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 2
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
0.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 25
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
0.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 40
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 72
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
1.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 14
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 79
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
1.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 98
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
2.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 17
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
2.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 15
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
3.1%
Kansas House of Representatives District 23
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
4.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 39
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
6.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 18
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
7.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 49
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
7.7%
Kansas House of Representatives District 85
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
8.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 30
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
8.7%
Kansas House of Representatives District 26
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
9.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 69
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
9.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 3
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
9.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 56
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
10.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 78
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
10.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 28
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
12.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 8
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
13.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 41
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
14.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 97
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
15.1%
Kansas House of Representatives District 29
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
15.1%
Kansas House of Representatives District 38
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
15.3%
Kansas House of Representatives District 121
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
16.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 19
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
17.7%
Kansas House of Representatives District 16
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
17.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 54
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
18.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 43
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
20.1%
Kansas House of Representatives District 100
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
20.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 20
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
20.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 27
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
21.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 67
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
22.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 94
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
23.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 83
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
23.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 123
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
23.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 42
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
26.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 82
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
26.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 47
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
26.5%
Kansas House of Representatives District 86
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
27.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 51
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
29.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 81
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
32.1%
Kansas House of Representatives District 99
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
33.7%
Kansas House of Representatives District 70
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
35.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 52
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
38.5%
Kansas House of Representatives District 33
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
39.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 36
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
39.8%
Kansas House of Representatives District 45
Electiondot.png Democratic
Ends.png Republican
40.3%
Kansas House of Representatives District 62
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
40.7%
Kansas House of Representatives District 93
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
41.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 114
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
42.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 5
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
45.7%
Kansas House of Representatives District 91
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
46.2%
Kansas House of Representatives District 4
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
50.0%
Kansas House of Representatives District 59
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
50.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 110
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
51.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 107
Ends.png Republican
Specialsession.png Libertarian
53.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 50
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
53.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 66
Electiondot.png Democratic
Specialsession.png Libertarian
54.4%
Kansas House of Representatives District 120
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
62.9%
Kansas House of Representatives District 113
Ends.png Republican
Electiondot.png Democratic
64.6%
Kansas House of Representatives District 1
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 10
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 101
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 102
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 103
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 105
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 106
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 108
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 109
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 112
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 115
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 116
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 117
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 118
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 119
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 122
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 125
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 21
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 24
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 31
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 32
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 34
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 35
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 37
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 44
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 53
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 57
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 58
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 60
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 61
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 63
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 65
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 68
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 7
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 71
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 73
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 76
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 77
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 84
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 88
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 9
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 90
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 92
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 95
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 96
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 22
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 46
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 55
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 89
Electiondot.png Democratic
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 6
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 11
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 12
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 13
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 64
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 74
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 75
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 80
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 87
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 104
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed
Kansas House of Representatives District 124
Ends.png Republican
None
Unopposed


Seats flipped

See also: State legislative seats that changed party control, 2018

The below map displays each seat in the Kansas House of Representatives which changed partisan hands as a result of the 2018 elections, shaded according to the partisan affiliation of the winner in 2018. Hover over a shaded district for more information.

State legislative seats flipped in 2018, Kansas House of Representatives
District Incumbent 2018 winner Direction of flip
Kansas House of Representatives District 111 Democratic Party Eber Phelps Republican Party Barbara Wasinger D to R
Kansas House of Representatives District 2 Democratic Party Adam Lusker Republican Party Kenneth Collins D to R
Kansas House of Representatives District 23 Republican Party Linda Gallagher Democratic Party Susan Ruiz R to D
Kansas House of Representatives District 25 Republican Party Melissa Rooker Democratic Party Rui Xu R to D
Kansas House of Representatives District 30 Republican Party Randy Powell Democratic Party Brandon Woodard R to D
Kansas House of Representatives District 40 Democratic Party Debbie Deere Republican Party David French D to R
Kansas House of Representatives District 45 Republican Party Thomas Sloan Democratic Party Mike Amyx R to D
Kansas House of Representatives District 48 Republican Party Abraham Rafie Democratic Party David Benson R to D
Kansas House of Representatives District 79 Democratic Party Ed Trimmer Republican Party Cheryl Helmer D to R
Kansas House of Representatives District 98 Democratic Party Steven Crum Republican Party Ron Howard D to R

Process to become a candidate

See also: Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Kansas

For party candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Kansas Statutes, Chapter 25, Article 2, Section 5

A candidate seeking the nomination of a party qualified to participate in primary elections can access the primary ballot either by filing a nomination petition or paying a filing fee.

By filing a nomination petition

Signature requirements for nomination petitions for party candidates vary according to the office being sought. For offices elected on a statewide basis, signatures must equal at least 1 percent of the state's current voter registration total of the party whose nomination the candidate is seeking. For offices elected by district, signatures must equal at least 2 percent of the district's current voter registration total of the party whose nomination the candidate is seeking.[4][5]

Nomination petitions for federal and state-level offices (including state legislative seats) must be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of State by noon on June 1, prior to the primary election. If June 1 falls on a holiday or weekend, petitions are due by noon on the next following business day.[4]

By paying a filing fee

A candidate may forgo the petition process by submitting a declaration of candidacy and paying a filing fee. The filing fee varies according to the office being sought. For statewide and federal offices, the fee is equal to 1 percent of the office's annual salary. For state senate candidates, the fee is $75. For state representative candidates, the fee is $50.[4][6]

The declaration and accompanying filing fee for federal and state-level offices (including state legislative seats) must be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of State by noon on June 1, prior to the primary election. If June 1 falls on a holiday or weekend, petitions are due by noon on the next following business day.[4]

In addition to the statutory filing fee, a candidate for federal and state offices must pay a $20 administrative fee to the Kansas Secretary of State. A state-level candidate must also pay a registration fee to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. For statewide executive offices, the fee is $480. For state legislative candidates, the fee is $35.[7][8]

For independent candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Kansas Statutes, Chapter 25, Article 3, Section 3

Independent candidates must petition for access to the general election ballot. Signature requirements vary according to the office being sought. For any statewide office, at least 5,000 signatures must be collected. For district-level offices (such as congressional or state legislative seats), signatures must equal at least 4 percent of the current total of qualified voters in the district as determined by the Kansas Secretary of State.[9]

While an independent candidate is not liable for a statutory filing fee, he or she must still pay a $20 administrative fee to the Kansas Secretary of State. State-level candidates must also pay a registration fee to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. For statewide executive offices, the fee is $480. For state legislative candidates, the fee is $35.[7][8]

Independent nomination petitions for federal and state-level offices (including state legislative seats) must be submitted to the Kansas Secretary of State by noon on the Monday preceding the date of the primary election.[10]

For write-in candidates

DocumentIcon.jpg See statutes: Kansas Statutes, Chapter 25, Article 3, Section 3

In order to have their votes tallied, certain write-in candidates must submit affidavits of candidacy. If a write-in candidate is running for governor, an affidavit must be filed with the Kansas Secretary of State by noon on the second Monday preceding the general election. If a write-in candidate is seeking another statewide office (except United States Senator), an affidavit must be filed with the Kansas Secretary of State by noon on the second Monday preceding the election at which the write-in candidate seeks nomination or election. Write-in candidates for other federal and state offices are not required to file affidavits.[7][10]

Qualifications

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 4 of Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution states, "During the time that any person is a candidate for nomination or election to the legislature and during the term of each legislator, such candidate or legislator shall be and remain a qualified elector who resides in his or her district."

Salaries and per diem

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
State legislative salaries, 2024[11]
SalaryPer diem
$86.66/session day$166/day

When sworn in

See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

Kansas legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.[12]

August 7 Republican primaries

Ballotpedia identified the August 7, 2018 Republican primaries as battleground primaries. For more on the Republican primaries, click here. For more on the Democratic primaries, click here.

Debate between supporters and opponents of former Gov. Sam Brownback's (R) 2012 tax cuts made the August 7 legislative primaries a battle between rival Republican factions. Twenty-three of the 31 contested primaries featured contests between pro-Brownback supporters of the cuts and anti-Brownback opponents. All 125 state House seats are up; the next state Senate elections were scheduled for 2020.

In 2018, 19 incumbents faced primary challengers, while 14 chose not to seek reelection. Twelve of the 19 who faced challengers generally opposed Brownback's tax cuts, five mostly supported them, and two did not firmly belong to either faction. Of the 14 who retired, seven were pro-Brownback, six were anti-Brownback, and one did not belong to either faction.

Six of the 12 anti-Brownback incumbents lost their primaries. One pro-Brownback incumbent lost his primary.

Anti-Brownback candidates won six of the 12 open primaries. Pro-Brownback candidates won five.[13]

This was not the first time the Brownback tax cuts—which lowered income tax rates and exempted more than 300,000 businesses from taxation—have been an issue in the Republican primaries. Eighteen legislators opposed to Brownback's policies were defeated in 2012. Fourteen incumbents supportive of Brownback were unseated in 2016.

In the 2017 legislative session, the Kansas State Legislature largely repealed the tax cuts and overrode Brownback when he vetoed the repeal. Anti-Brownback Republicans said the repeal was necessary to address the budget deficit and increase education funding. Read more below.

The state legislative elections occurred alongside a Republican gubernatorial primary to select Brownback’s successor. He resigned in January 2018 to take a position in the Trump administration and was replaced by Lieutenant Gov. Jeff Colyer.[14] Colyer and Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the leading candidates in the Republican primary, both indicated support for lowering taxes.[15]

The chart below shows the number of members in each faction heading into the primaries.

Kansas Republican factions
Faction Pre-primary members Retirements Incumbents with challenges Post-primary members
Anti-Brownback 41 6 12 33
Pro-Brownback 38 7 5 43
No clear faction 6 1 2 9
Total 85 14 19 85


The chart below shows the factional affiliations of the candidates running in the 31 contested Republican primaries. For more on the methodology we used, click here.

Factional conflicts in Kansas state House Republican primaries
District Incumbent Incumbent faction Incumbent running? Challenger(s) Challenger(s) faction
District 5 Kevin Jones Pro-Brownback No
Mark Samsel Approveda Anti-Brownback
Renee Slinkard Pro-Brownback
District 6 Jene Vickrey Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
Clifford Blackmore Pro-Brownback
District 8 Patty Markley Anti-Brownback Yes
Chris Croft Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 11 Jim Kelly Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
John Lowrance Pro-Brownback
District 12 Doug Blex Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
Brad Hall Unclear faction
District 13 Larry Paul Hibbard Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Londa Tindle Pro-Brownback
District 14 Keith Esau Pro-Brownback No
Charlotte Esau Approveda Pro-Brownback
Aaron Young Anti-Brownback
Tom Stanion Anti-Brownback
District 17 Tom Cox Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Jim Eschrich Unclear faction
District 18 Cindy Neighbor Democratic Democratic seat (Yes)
Cathy Gordon Unclear faction
Eric Jenkins Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 27 Sean Tarwater Sr. Approveda Unclear faction Yes
Rochelle Bird Pro-Brownback
Karen Snyder Anti-Brownback
District 28 Joy Koesten Anti-Brownback Yes
Kellie Warren Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 29 Brett Parker Democratic Democratic seat (Yes)
Peggy Galvin Approveda Anti-Brownback
James Todd Anti-Brownback
District 30 Randy Powell Pro-Brownback No
Wendy Bingesser Approveda Pro-Brownback
Colleen Webster Anti-Brownback
District 38 Willie Dove Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
Noel Hull Unclear faction
District 39 Shelee Brim Anti-Brownback No
Kristy Acree Anti-Brownback
Owen Donohoe Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 42 Jim Karleskint Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Lance Neelly Pro-Brownback
District 45 Thomas Sloan Anti-Brownback No
Cynthia Smith Approveda Anti-Brownback
Ronald Thacker Pro-Brownback
District 49 Scott Schwab Pro-Brownback No
Fsehazion Desalegn Anti-Brownback
Megan Lynn Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 59 Blaine Finch Approveda Unclear faction Yes
Shari Weber Unclear faction
District 64 Susie Swanson Anti-Brownback No
Susan Carlson Approveda Unclear faction
Kathy Martin Pro-Brownback
District 74 Don Schroeder Anti-Brownback Yes
Stephen Owens Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 75 Mary Martha Good Anti-Brownback Yes
Will Carpenter Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 80 Anita Judd-Jenkins Anti-Brownback Yes
Bill Rhiley Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 87 Roger Elliott Anti-Brownback No
Renee Erickson Approveda Pro-Brownback
Jeff Kennedy Anti-Brownback
District 93 John Whitmer Pro-Brownback Yes
J.C. Moore Approveda Anti-Brownback
District 97 Leslie Osterman Pro-Brownback No
Nick Hoheisel Approveda Anti-Brownback
Michael Walker Unclear faction
District 100 Daniel Hawkins Approveda Pro-Brownback Yes
James Breitenbach Unclear faction
District 104 Steven R. Becker Anti-Brownback Yes
Paul Waggoner Approveda Pro-Brownback
District 107 Susan Concannon Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Sam Sacco Pro-Brownback
District 113 Greg Lewis Approveda Anti-Brownback Yes
Brett Fairchild Pro-Brownback
District 124 J. Stephen Alford Anti-Brownback No
Jeffrey Locke Unclear faction
Martin Long Approveda Anti-Brownback

Kansas political history

See also: Partisan composition of state houses and State government trifectas

Party control

2018

In the 2018 elections, there was no change in the partisan balance of the Kansas House of Representatives.

Kansas House of Representatives
Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
     Democratic Party 40 40
     Republican Party 85 85
Total 125 125

2016

In the 2016 elections, Republicans lost 12 seats in the Kansas House of Representatives but still maintained their majority.

Kansas House of Representatives
Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
     Democratic Party 28 40
     Republican Party 97 85
Total 125 125

Trifectas

A state government trifecta is a term that describes single-party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Republicans in Kansas gained a state government trifecta as a result of the 2010 elections. They defended their trifecta in the 2012, 2014, and 2016 elections. Republicans previously held a trifecta from 1995 to 2002.

Kansas Party Control: 1992-2025
No Democratic trifectas  •  Sixteen years of Republican trifectas

Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
House D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R

Wave election analysis

See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)

The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?

Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.

Applying this definition to state legislative elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose 494 seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.

The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 10 state legislative waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.

State legislative wave elections
Year President Party Election type State legislative seats change Elections analyzed[16]
1932 Hoover R Presidential -1,022 7,365
1922 Harding R First midterm -907 6,907
1966 Johnson D First midterm[17] -782 7,561
1938 Roosevelt D Second midterm -769 7,179
1958 Eisenhower R Second midterm -702 7,627
2010 Obama D First midterm -702 7,306
1974 Ford R Second midterm[18] -695 7,481
1920 Wilson D Presidential -654 6,835
1930 Hoover R Presidential -640 7,361
1954 Eisenhower R First midterm -494 7,513

Competitiveness

Every year, Ballotpedia uses official candidate lists from each state to examine the competitiveness of every state legislative race in the country. Nationally, there has been a steady decline in electoral competitiveness since 2010. Most notable is that the number of districts with general election competition has dropped by more than 10 percent.

Results from 2016

Click here to read the full study »


Historical context

See also: Competitiveness in State Legislative Elections: 1972-2014

Uncontested elections: In 2014, 32.8 percent of Americans lived in states with an uncontested state senate election. Similarly, 40.4 percent of Americans lived in states with uncontested house elections. Primary elections were uncontested even more frequently, with 61 percent of people living in states with no contested primaries. Uncontested elections often occur in locations that are so politically one-sided that the result of an election would be a foregone conclusion regardless of whether it was contested or not.

F5 Pop. % with uncontested state legislative races.png

Open seats: In most cases, an incumbent will run for re-election, which decreases the number of open seats available. In 2014, 83 percent of the 6,057 seats up for election saw the incumbent running for re-election. The states that impose term limits on their legislatures typically see a higher percentage of open seats in a given year because a portion of incumbents in each election are forced to leave office. Overall, the number of open seats decreased from 2012 to 2014, dropping from 21.2 percent in 2012 to 17.0 percent in 2014.

Incumbent win rates: Ballotpedia's competitiveness analysis of elections between 1972 and 2014 documented the high propensity for incumbents to win re-election in state legislative elections. In fact, since 1972, the win rate for incumbents had not dropped below 90 percent—with the exception of 1974, when 88 percent of incumbents were re-elected to their seats. Perhaps most importantly, the win rate for incumbents generally increased over time. In 2014, 96.5 percent of incumbents were able to retain their seats. Common convention holds that incumbents are able to leverage their office to maintain their seat. However, the high incumbent win rate may actually be a result of incumbents being more likely to hold seats in districts that are considered safe for their party.

Marginal primaries: Often, competitiveness is measured by examining the rate of elections that have been won by amounts that are considered marginal (5 percent or less). During the 2014 election, 90.1 percent of primary and general election races were won by margins higher than 5 percent. Interestingly, it is usually the case that only one of the two races—primary or general—will be competitive at a time. This means that if a district's general election is competitive, typically one or more of the district's primaries were won by more than 5 percent. The reverse is also true: If a district sees a competitive primary, it is unlikely that the general election for that district will be won by less than 5 percent. Primaries often see very low voter turnout in comparison to general elections. In 2014, there were only 27 million voters for state legislative primaries, but approximately 107 million voters for the state legislative general elections.

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

There are no Pivot Counties in Kansas. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Kansas with 56.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 36.1 percent. In presidential elections between 1864 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican 84.21 percent of the time and Democratic 15.78 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican all five times.[19]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Kansas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[20][21]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 29 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 21.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 34 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 20.9 points. Clinton won six districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 91 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 35.5 points. Trump won 11 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. Kansas Secretary of State, "Candidates for the 2018 Primary (unofficial)," accessed June 4, 2018
  2. Ballotpedia defines an incumbent as retiring if the incumbent did not file for office or filed for office but withdrew, was disqualified, or otherwise left a race in a manner other than losing the primary, primary runoff, or convention. If an incumbent runs as a write-in candidate, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring. If an incumbent runs in the same chamber for a different seat, Ballotpedia does not consider them to be retiring.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Excludes unopposed elections
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Kansas Statutes, "Chapter 25, Article 2, Section 5," accessed April 28, 2025
  5. Kansas Statutes, "Chapter 25, Article 40, Section 5," accessed May 13, 2025
  6. Kansas Statutes, "Chapter 25, Article 2, Section 6," accessed April 28, 2025
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Kansas Election Standards, "Chapter IV. - Candidates," revised July 17, 2019
  8. 8.0 8.1 Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Handbook for Candidates and Treasurers, 2014," accessed April 28, 2025
  9. Kansas Statutes, "Chapter 25, Article 3, Section 3," accessed April 28, 2025
  10. 10.0 10.1 Kansas Statutes, "Chapter 25, Article 3, Section 5," accessed April 12, 2025
  11. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
  12. Kansas Constitution, "Article Two, Section 2", accessed February 9, 2021
  13. New York Times, "Kansas election results," accessed August 7, 2018
  14. Washington Examiner, "Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback will resign Jan. 31 to become Trump's religious freedom ambassador," January 25, 2018
  15. Associated Press, "Candidate chides Kansas governor for not signing tax pledge," June 7, 2018
  16. The number of state legislative seats available for analysis varied, with as many as 7,795 and as few as 6,835.
  17. Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
  18. Gerald Ford's (R) first term began in August 1974 following the resignation of President Richard Nixon (R), who was first elected in 1968 and was re-elected in 1972. Because Ford only served for two full months before facing the electorate, this election is classified as Nixon's second midterm.
  19. 270towin.com, "Kansas," accessed June 1, 2017
  20. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  21. Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017


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
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
Ron Bryce (R)
District 12
Doug Blex (R)
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
Rui Xu (D)
District 26
District 27
District 28
District 29
District 30
District 31
District 32
District 33
District 34
District 35
District 36
District 37
District 38
District 39
District 40
District 41
District 42
District 43
District 44
District 45
Mike Amyx (D)
District 46
District 47
District 48
Dan Osman (D)
District 49
District 50
District 51
District 52
District 53
District 54
District 55
District 56
District 57
District 58
District 59
District 60
District 61
District 62
District 63
District 64
District 65
District 66
District 67
District 68
District 69
District 70
District 71
District 72
District 73
District 74
Mike King (R)
District 75
District 76
District 77
District 78
District 79
District 80
District 81
District 82
District 83
District 84
Ford Carr (D)
District 85
District 86
District 87
District 88
District 89
District 90
District 91
District 92
District 93
District 94
District 95
District 96
District 97
District 98
District 99
District 100
District 101
District 102
District 103
District 104
District 105
Jill Ward (R)
District 106
District 107
Dawn Wolf (R)
District 108
District 109
District 110
District 111
District 112
District 113
District 114
District 115
District 116
District 117
Adam Turk (R)
District 118
District 119
District 120
District 121
District 122
District 123
Bob Lewis (R)
District 124
District 125
Republican Party (88)
Democratic Party (37)