Johnson County’s top election official says he was forced to resign from office
Local elections in Johnson County will soon come under new leadership.
Johnson County Elections Commissioner Fred Sherman resigned his post this week, according to Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab.
Sherman posted online suggesting he was forced out of the role. He restated this position in a conversation with The Star Friday, indicating that he was told he would be removed if he didn’t resign.
Sherman declined to further discuss his exit with The Star.
Schwab announced Sherman’s resignation Thursday morning, but declined to provide a specific reason for the election official’s sudden departure.
Sherman had been Johnson County’s election commissioner for about five years, following his appointment in 2021. His duties included overseeing multiple local elections throughout the county, including post-election audits and recounts when necessary.
Sherman wrote on social media this week that while his exit was voluntary, he resigned because it was either leave his post or be forcibly removed.
“I was given the option to resign or be terminated from the position, and I elected to resign,” Sherman wrote on X Thursday. “I am proud of the work performed by the Johnson County Election Office staff and appreciate the opportunity to have served the voters of Johnson County, Kansas.”
In a Thursday statement announcing Sherman’s resignation, Schwab thanked the outgoing official for “his service to the people of Johnson County.”
“I appreciate his commitment to administering elections that are safe, secure, and transparent,” Schwab wrote.
Sherman’s final actions in Johnson County included facilitating a citizen-prompted recount for a Prairie Village ballot question and administering November’s local elections.
Sherman was the subject of an investigation spearheaded by then-Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden over unsubstantiated allegations of voter intimidation in 2022. The investigation was part of a larger, protracted inquiry around allegations of voter fraud that stretched on for several years and resulted in no charges, formally ending in February 2025.
Schwab said that a selection process for replacing Sherman has not yet been finalized and will be designed in tandem by state and county officials. Sherman’s successor will be appointed rather than elected.
