Johnson County Republican headquarters targeted in overnight fire, GOP chair says
The chair of the Kansas Republican Party on Friday claimed Johnson County GOP headquarters were the target of an attempted overnight arson attack.
Firefighters responded to a reported fire call at 10107 W. 105th St. just before 1 a.m. Friday, Overland Park Fire Department spokesperson Jason Rhodes said in a phone call.
“It was on the doorstep of that building. There was really no building involved, no significant damage to the building and no injuries reported,” Rhodes said, noting that the cause of the fire is under investigation.
A news release sent out by state GOP Chair Danedri Herbert suggested the fire was politically motivated, a claim the fire department spokesperson said he can’t speak to while the investigation is ongoing.
“Extreme liberals can’t do anything right, including arson,” Herbert said. “Their hateful attempt to intimidate Republicans will also fail. This only fuels our desire to promote President Trump’s America First agenda and win the 2026 midterms.”
The Johnson County GOP headquarters are located in a commercial building it shares with Damage Hitter, a batting cage business. In a phone interview, Herbert said she has seen photos of damage, including a welcome mat that was “completely burned.”
“It appears that somebody threw some sort of fire-causing incendiary device at the headquarters,” Herbert said.
“But they didn’t throw it hard enough or it wasn’t strong enough to break the glass on the door.”
Rhodes said he couldn’t confirm whether there’s evidence that a Molotov cocktail or other incendiary device started the fire.
Sue Huff, chair of the Johnson County GOP, said in an interview that she believes two such devices were thrown at the glass but that all damage occurred outside the building.
Huff declined to speculate on whether the blaze was set with a political motive.
“I have no idea. You would have to talk to the police or fire department about that,” she said.
The Overland Park Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday afternoon.
This story was originally published August 15, 2025 at 2:03 PM.
