The residents of Sedgwick County are represented at the Kansas Statehouse by 32 lawmakers — a mix of attorneys, small-business owners, former educators, veterans, engineers and retirees from aviation and aerospace industries. Even a farmer and the owner of a liquor store.
The Sedgwick County delegation — nearly 20% of the legislature’s 165 members — includes 23 in the Kansas House and nine in the Kansas Senate. The party split favors Republicans – on the House side, 15 members are Republicans, while eight are Democrats. Seven senators are Republicans and two are Democrats.
Find your legislators by entering your address here.
A brief biography of each Sedgwick County legislator is below, as well as committee assignments and contact information. All information was sourced from the Kansas Legislature, campaign materials, social media and other publicly available information.
Kansas House of Representatives
Rep. Blake Carpenter, House District 81 (on leave)
Blake Carpenter, a Republican, was first elected to the Kansas House in November 2014 at age 23 and a month before graduating college. Carpenter works in the aviation industry and is a member of the Kansas Air National Guard. The 81st District is in southeast Sedgwick County and includes McConnell Air Force Base as well as parts of Wichita, Gypsum, Oaklawn-Sunview and Derby, where Carpenter resides. Carpenter is currently on military leave with the U.S. Air Force, so he did not sit on any committees during the 2022 session. Leah Howell is temporarily serving in his place.
Phone: 785-296-7567
Email: blake.carpenter@house.ks.gov
Rep. Leah Howell, House District 81 (interim)
Republican Leah Howell of Derby is serving as the interim representative in place of Blake Carpenter during the 2022 session. Howell is married to Republican Jim Howell, Carpenter’s predecessor in the seat and current Sedgwick County commissioner for District 5. She was appointed to the temporary assignment by the Republican precinct committee. It’s her first time holding public office. She sits on the following committees: Elections; Federal and State Affairs; and Corrections and Juvenile Justice.
Phone: 785-296-7567
Email: leah.howell@house.ks.gov
Rep. Jesse Burris, House District 82
Jesse Burris is a Republican attorney from Mulvane. Burris first assumed office in 2017, stepping in after Rep. Peter DeGraaf resigned the seat due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Burris won reelection in 2018. The district, which includes Mulvane and parts of Derby and Sumner County, is at the southeast corner of Sedgwick County. Burris sits on the following committees: Federal and State Affairs; Higher Education Budget; and Judiciary.
Phone: 785-296-7693
Email: jesse.burris@house.ks.gov
Rep. Henry Helgerson, House District 83
Democrat Henry Helgerson is from Eastborough and owns a business that outfits vendors for trade shows and conventions. His first stint in the Kansas House lasted nearly two decades, from 1983 to 2000. He served a partial term in the Kansas Senate from 2003 to 2004 and was again elected to the state House in 2016. The district includes Eastborough and part of eastern Wichita. Helgerson is the ranking minority member on the House Transportation committee. He also sits on the following committees: Appropriations, Taxation, Health Care Stabilization Fund Oversight, Legislative Budget and the 2021 Special Committee on Taxation.
Phone: 785-296-7668
Email: henry.helgerson@house.ks.gov
Rep. Gail Finney, House District 84
Democrat Gail Finney is a small-business owner from Wichita and was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2008. Finney represents the 84th House District, which includes part of Wichita mostly east of I-135. Finney was away from Topeka for much of the 2022 legislative session to recover from a kidney transplant she received in January, but returned to the House floor in mid-March. Finney sits on the following committees: Kansas Criminal Justice Reform Commission; Joint Committee on Fiduciary Financial Institutions Oversight; Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight; Insurance and Pensions; and Financial Institutions and Rural Development.
Phone: 785-296-7649
Email: gail.finney@house.ks.gov
Rep. Patrick Penn, House District 85
Republican Patrick Penn is an Army veteran who lives in northeast Wichita and works in the aerospace industry. Penn was first elected in 2020 and represents the 85th House District, which straddles Sedgwick and Butler counties, and includes the town of Benton and parts of Wichita, Kechi and Bel Aire. Penn sits on the following committees: Children and Seniors; Federal and State Affairs; and K-12 Education Budget.
Phone: 785-296-7473
Email: patrick.penn@house.ks.gov
Rep. Stephanie Byers, House District 86
Democrat Stephanie Byers is a retired high school band and orchestra teacher from Wichita. Upon being elected in 2020, Byers became the first openly transgender person to serve in the Kansas Legislature and the first openly transgender Native American person elected to any legislature in the U.S. The district is bisected by I-135 and encompasses Wichita south and east of downtown, from Douglas Avenue in the north to Pawnee Street in the south. Byers sits on the following committees: Education, K-12 Education Budget and Water.
Phone: 785-296-7631
Email: stephanie.byers@house.ks.gov
Rep. Susan Oliver Estes, House District 87
Republican Susan Estes is a former teacher from Wichita. She won election in 2020. She is married to U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, who represents Kansas’ 4th Congressional District. The 87th District encompasses part of eastern Wichita. Estes sits on the following committees: Education, Appropriations, K-12 Education Budget and the Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council.
Phone: 785-296-7388
Email: susan.estes@house.ks.gov
Rep. Chuck Schmidt, House District 88
Democrat Chuck Schmidt is a retired educator and school administrator who resides in Wichita. Schmidt was appointed to replace Rep. Elizabeth Bishop, who retired on the last day of the 2021 session. The district contains part of southeast Wichita, abutting the northern boundary of McConnell Air Force Base. Schmidt sits on the following committees: Education, Taxation and Water.
Phone: 785-296-5016
Email: Chuck.Schmidt@house.ks.gov
Rep. KC Ohaebosim, House District 89
Democrat KC Ohaebosim is from Wichita and works as a data analyst in the defense contracting industry. He was first elected to the House in 2016. The district includes parts of Wichita, Bel Aire, Park City and Kechi. Ohaebosim sits on the following committees: Judiciary; Transportation; and Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications.
Phone: 785-296-7684
Email: KC.Ohaebosim@house.ks.gov
Rep. Steve Huebert, House District 90
Republican Steve Huebert from Valley Center worked as an engineer in the aerospace industry. He was first elected to the House in 2000. The district encompasses northern portions of Sedgwick County and includes the towns of Andale, Bentley, Mount Hope and Colwich, along with parts of Kechi, Maize, Park City, Sedgwick, Valley Center and Wichita. Huebert serves as chair of the House Education committee and sits on the following committees: Redistricting; K-12 Education Budget; Joint Committee on Information Technology; and the 2021 Special Committee on Education.
Phone: 785-296-1754
Email: steve.huebert@house.ks.gov
Rep. Emil M. Bergquist, House District 91
Republican Emil Bergquist from Park City is retired from the aviation industry. Bergquist was appointed in 2018 to finish the term of Rep. Greg Lakin, who left office to join the administration of then-Gov. Sam Brownback. The district encompasses part of northern Sedgwick County, including parts of Kechi, Maize, Park City, Valley Center and Wichita. Bergquist serves as chair of the Elections Committee and sits on the following committees: Insurance and Pensions; Health and Human Services; and Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications.
Phone: 785-296-7681
Email: emil.bergquist@house.ks.gov
Rep. John Carmichael, House District 92
Democrat John Carmichael is an attorney from Wichita who has also served on a number of statewide commissions. Carmichael assumed office in 2013 to finish the term of Rep. Nile Dillmore, who resigned. The district includes the Riverside neighborhood and parts of northwest Wichita. Carmichael is the ranking minority member of the House Judiciary Committee and sits on the following committees: 2021 Special Committee on Liquor Law modernization; Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations; Corrections and Juvenile Justice; 2021 Special Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates; Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications; Alvin Sykes Cold Case DNA Task Force; and the 2019 Special Committee on Judiciary.
Phone:785-296-7650
Email: john.carmichael@house.ks.gov
Rep. Brian Bergkamp, House District 93
Republican Brian Bergkamp is an accountant who lives in Wichita and has worked at Koch Industries. He was first elected to the state House in 2020. The district is southwest of Wichita and includes the cities of Cheney, Clearwater and Viola and parts of Goddard, Haysville, Mulvane and Wichita. Bergkamp sits on the following committees: Education; Taxation and Financial Institutions; and Rural Development.
Phone: 785-296-1177
Email: Brian.Bergkamp@house.ks.gov
Rep. Leo G. Delperdang, House District 94
Republican Leo Delperdang is a retired engineer who resides in Wichita and was first elected to the state House in 2016. The district includes western Wichita. Delperdang is vice chair of the Transportation Committee and sits on the following committees: Transportation and Public Safety Budget; Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications; and the 2021 Special Committee on Child Support Enforcement and Collection.
Phone: 785-296-7663
Email: Leo.Delperdang@house.ks.gov
Rep. Tom Sawyer, House District 95
Democrat Tom Sawyer, an accountant from Wichita, was most recently elected to the Kansas House in 2013. He served previous terms from 1987 to 1998 and from 2003 to 2008. The district includes southwest Wichita, east of the Arkansas River. Sawyer serves as the House minority leader and sits on the Legislative Coordinating Council and the 2021 Redistricting Advisory Group.
Phone: 785-296-7630
Email: tom.sawyer@house.ks.gov
Rep. Tom Kessler, House District 96
Republican Tom Kessler, a liquor store owner from Wichita, was first elected to the House in 2020. The district includes south Wichita. Kessler sits on the following committees: 2021 Special Committee on Liquor Law modernization; Taxation; Commerce, Labor and Economic Development; Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications; and Financial Institutions and Rural Development.
Phone: 785-296-8610
Email: tom.kessler@house.ks.gov
Rep. Nick Hoheisel, House District 97
Republican Nick Hoheisel is a business manager from Wichita. He was first elected in 2018. The district includes Wichita’s southwest corner. Hoheisel serves as vice chair of the Financial Institutions and Rural Development Committee and sits on the following committees: Redistricting; Judiciary; Joint Committee on Fiduciary Financial Institutions Oversight; 2019 Special Committee on Judiciary; and Transportation.
Phone: 785-296-7689
Email: Nick.Hoheisel@house.ks.gov
Rep. Cyndi Howerton, House District 98
Republican Cyndi Howerton is a tax service manager from Wichita. She assumed office in August 2021 to complete the term of Rep. Ron Howard after he died. The district includes parts of Wichita, Haysville and Oaklawn-Sunview. Howerton sits on the following committees: Corrections and Juvenile Justice; Social Services Budget; and Water.
Phone: 785-296-7468
Email: Cyndi.Howerton@house.ks.gov
Rep. Susan Humphries, House District 99
Republican Susan Humphries is an adoption attorney from Wichita who was first elected in 2016. The district straddles part of Sedgwick and Butler counties and includes Andover and part of Wichita. Humphries is chair of the Higher Education Budget Committee and vice chair of the 2021 Special Committee on Child Support Enforcement and Collection. She sits on the following committees: Joint Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight; Joint Committee on Special Claims Against the State; Joint Committee on State Building Construction; Appropriations; Judiciary; House Select Investigating Committee; 2019 Special Committee on Federal and State Affairs; Rules and Journal Committee; and the 2018 Special Committee on Federal and State Affairs.
Phone: 785-296-7699
Email: Susan.Humphries@house.ks.gov
Rep. Daniel Hawkins, House District 100
Republican Daniel Hawkins is an insurance agent from Wichita who was first elected in 2012. The district includes part of Wichita and Maize. Hawkins is the House majority leader and serves as chair of the Calendar and Printing Committee. He also serves on the following committees: Legislative Coordinating Council, Interstate Cooperation, 2021 Redistricting Advisory Group and Legislative Budget (House).
Phone: 785-296-7662
Email: dan.hawkins@house.ks.gov
Rep. Joe Seiwert, House District 101
Republican Joe Seiwert is an agricultural business owner from Pretty Prairie. He has been in office since 2009. The district straddles parts of Sedgwick and Reno counties and includes Haven, Pretty Prairie and Yoder in Reno County, and Garden Plain, along with parts of Goddard and Wichita, in Sedgwick County. Seiwert sits on the Agriculture and Transportation committees.
Phone: 785-296-7647
Email: joe.seiwert@house.ks.gov
Rep. Ponka-We Victors-Cozad, House District 103
Democrat Ponka-We Victors-Cozad is a guest teacher from Wichita and was first elected in 2010. The district includes parts of Wichita and Kechi. Victors-Cozad sits on the following committees: Veterans and Military; Transportation and Public Safety Budget; Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations; the 2021 Special Committee on Child Support Enforcement and Collection; the 2020 Special Committee on Kansas Emergency Management Act; and Transportation.
Phone: 785-296-7651
Email: ponka-we.victors@house.ks.gov
Rep. Brenda Landwehr, House District 105
Republican Brenda Landwehr is a retired business owner from Wichita. Landwehr first served in the Kansas House from 1995 to 2012, and was again elected in 2016. The district includes part of Wichita. Landwehr chairs the following committees: Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight; Health and Human Services; 2021 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform; and the 2020 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform. She is vice chair of the 2021 Special Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates. She also sits on the following committees: Redistricting; Appropriations; K-12 Education Budget; 2021 Special Committee on Federal 340B Drug Program; and the 2021 Special Committee on Home and Community Based Services Intellectual and Developmental Disability Waiver.
Phone: 785-296-7488
Email: brenda.landwehr@house.ks.gov
Kansas Senate
Sen. Ty Masterson, Senate District 16
Republican Ty Masterson is from Andover and was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2008. He was in the Kansas House from 2005 to 2008. The district is split between Sedgwick and Butler counties and includes the cities of Andover, Augusta, Benton, Rose Hill and Whitewater, and parts of Bel Aire, Derby, Kechi and Wichita, along with part of McConnell Air Force Base. Masterson is president of the Senate. He chairs the Interstate Cooperation Committee; the 2021 Redistricting Advisory Group; and the Organization, Calendar and Rules Committee. He is vice chair of the Legislative Coordinating Council and the Redistricting Committee. Masterson also sits on the following committees: Confirmation Oversight; 2021 Special Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates; Joint Committee on Fiduciary Financial Institutions Oversight; Child Welfare System Task Force; and the Legislative Task Force on Dyslexia.
Phone: 785-296-2419
Email: Ty.Masterson@senate.ks.go
Sen. Mary Ware, Senate District 25
Democrat Mary Ware is a store owner from Wichita. Ware was first appointed to fill the remaining term of Rep. Lynn Rogers, who was elected Kansas lieutenant governor in 2018. The district includes west Wichita. Ware is the ranking minority member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. She also sits on the following committees: Commerce; Legislative Post Audit Committee; Joint Committee on Kansas Security; and the 2021 Special Committee on Federal 340B Drug Program.
Phone: 785-296-7391
Email: Mary.Ware@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Dan Kerschen, Senate District 26
Republican Dan Kerschen is a farmer from Garden Plain and was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2012. He was in the Kansas House for four years before that. The district covers a large part of southwest Sedgwick County and includes the towns of Cheney, Garden Plain, Haysville and Mulvane, and parts of Clearwater, Derby, Goddard and Wichita. Kerschen is chair of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and vice chair of the 2021 Special Committee on the 30 x 30 Federal Initiative. Kerschen sits on the following committees: Assessment and Taxation; Ways and Means; Ways and Means Subcommittee for Human Services; Ways and Means Subcommittee for General Government; Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations; 2021 Special Committee on Taxation; and the 2020 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform.
Phone: 785-296-7353
Email: Dan.Kerschen@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Gene Suellentrop, Senate District 27
Republican Gene Suellentrop is from Wichita and owns a restaurant business that sells franchises. He was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2016 and was in the Kansas House from 2009 to 2016. The district includes part of northwest Wichita, the towns of Andale and Colwich and parts of Goddard and Maize. Suellentrop is the former Senate majority leader. He is chair of the Executive Subcommittee of Ways and Means and vice chair of the Interstate Cooperation Committee. Suellentrop sits on the following committees: Assessment and Taxation; Ways and Means; Ways and Means Legislative Subcommittee; Ways and Means Human Services Subcommittee; Joint Committee on State Building Construction; Education; and Health Care Stabilization Fund Oversight Committee.
Phone: 785-296-7394
Email: Gene.Suellentrop@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Mike Petersen, Senate District 28
Republican Mike Petersen is an industrial electrician from Wichita. He was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2004. The district is in southern Sedgwick County and includes Oaklawn-Sunview and parts of Derby, McConnell Air Force Base and Wichita. Petersen is chair of the Transportation Committee and vice chair of the Utilities Committee, the Joint Committee on Kansas Security and the Joint Committee on Information Technology. Petersen also sits on the Assessment and Taxation Committee and the Federal and State Affairs Committee.
Phone: 785-296-7355
Email: Mike.Petersen@senate.ks.go
Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau, Senate District 29
Democrat Oletha Faust-Goudeau is from Wichita. After winning election in 2008, she became the first African-American woman to serve in the Kansas Senate. She was also in the state House from 2003 to 2008. The district includes central and north-central Wichita and part of Kechi. Faust-Goudeau is the Senate assistant minority leader and is the ranking minority member on the following committees: Transparency and Ethics; Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations; and Federal and State Affairs. She also sits on the following committees: Joint Committee on Child Welfare System Oversight; Local Government; and the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight.
Phone: 785-296-7387
Email: Oletha.Faust-Goudeau@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Renee Erickson, Senate District 30
Republican Renee Erickson is a retired school administrator from Wichita. She was first elected to the state Senate in 2020, and served one term in the state House from 2019 to 2020. The district includes east Wichita and parts of Andover and Eastborough. Erickson is the Senate assistant majority leader. She is chair of the Commerce Committee and the 2021 Special Committee on Government Overreach and the Impact of COVID-19 Mandates, and vice chair of the Education Committee and the 2021 Special Committee on Federal 340B Drug Program. Erickson also sits on the following committees: Local Government; Transparency and Ethics; Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight; Redistricting; Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight; Public Health and Welfare; Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council; 2021 Special Committee on Education; and the 2021 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform.
Phone: 785-296-7476
Email: Renee.Erickson@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Carolyn McGinn, Senate District 31
Republican Carolyn McGinn is an agricultural producer from Sedgwick. She has been in the Senate since 2005. The district includes part of Harvey County as well as Bentley, Mount Hope, Park City, Sedgwick and Valley Center in Sedgwick County, and parts of Bel Aire, Kechi, Maize and Wichita. McGinn is chair of the Local Government Committee; Ways and Means Human Services Subcommittee; and the 2021 Special Committee on Child Support Enforcement and Collection. She is vice chair of the Transparency and Ethics Committee; the 2021 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform; and the 2020 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform. McGinn also sits on the following committees: Agriculture and Natural Resources; Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations; and Ways and Means.
Phone: 785-296-7377
Email: Carolyn.McGinn@senate.ks.gov
Sen. Larry Alley, Senate District 32
Republican Larry Alley is a retired aerospace project manager from Winfield who was first elected to the state Senate in 2016. The district spans seven counties: Barber, Comanche, Harper, Sumner, Cowley, Kingman and the southwest corner of Sedgwick. Alley is the Senate majority leader, and chairs the Confirmation Oversight Committee and the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations. He is vice chair of the 2021 Special Committee on Liquor Law Modernization. Alley sits on the following committees: Legislative Coordinating Council; Ways and Means; Ways and Means Executive Subcommittee; Ways and Means Legislative Subcommittee; Ways and Means Higher Education Subcommittee; 2021 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform; 2020 Special Committee on Kansas Mental Health Modernization and Reform; and Organization, Calendar and Rules.
Phone: 785-296-2497
Email: Larry.Alley@senate.ks.gov
