We know who will wear the JoCo sheriff’s badge. He’s a look at the contested races
Now that the June 1 deadline has passed for candidates to file for the August and November elections, we know who will wear the Johnson County sheriff’s badge for the next four years.
Incumbent Sheriff Calvin Hayden, a Republican first elected to the post in 2016, drew no opposition and should coast into a second term.
However, longtime District Attorney Steve Howe — first elected in 2008 before running unopposed in 2012 and 2016 — has a Democratic challenger this time: Zach V. Thomas from Lenexa.
And with the retirements of Johnson County Commissioners Steve Klika and Jim Allen, it’s clear that the county’s governing body will absorb at least two new members after the November election. The only incumbent on this year’s nonpartisan ballot is Mike Brown from the 6th District in the southwest part of the county.
Here are the candidates for major local races and the Kansas statehouse:
Johnson County Commission
▪ District 2
Jeff Meyers, Shawnee
Rob Patterson, Shawnee
▪ District 3
Stacy Obringer-Varhall, Overland Park
Pam Shernuk, Overland Park
Charlotte O’Hara, Overland Park
▪ District 6
MIke Brown, Olathe (I)
Shirley Allenbrand, Olathe
District attorney
Democrat: Zach V. Thomas, Lenexa
Republican: Steve Howe, Shawnee (I)
Sheriff
Republican: Calvin Hayden, Gardner (I)
Kansas Senate
▪ District 6
Democrat: Pat Petty, Kansas City, Kan. (I)
Republican: Diana Whittington, Kansas City, Kan.
▪ District 7
Democrat: Ethan Corson, Fairway
Republican: Laura McConwell, Mission
▪ District 8
Democrat: Cindy Holscher, Overland Park
Republican: James Todd, Overland Park
▪ District 9
Democrat: Stacey Knoell, Olathe
Republican: Julia Lynn, Olathe (I)
▪ District 10
Democrat: Lindsey Constance, Shawnee
Republican: Tom Cox, Shawnee; Mike Thompson, Shawnee (I)
▪ District 11
Democrat: Joy Koesten, Leawood
Republican: John Skubal, Overland Park (I); Kellie Warren, Leawood
▪ District 21
Democrat: Dinah Hensley Sykes, Lenexa (I)
Republican: Tom Bickimer, Lenexa
▪ District 23
Democrat: Wendy Budetti, Olathe
Republican: Rob Olson, Olathe (I); Chris Lengquist, Olathe
▪ District 37
Democrat: Becca Peck, Overland Park
Republican: Molly Baumgardner, Louisburg (I)
Kansas House
▪ District 8:
Republican: Clay Norkey, Overland Park; Chris Croft, Overland Park (I)
▪ District 14:
Democrat: Angela Justus Schweller, Lenexa
Republican: Charlotte Esau, Olathe (I)
▪ District 15:
Democrat: Cole Fine, Olathe
Republican: John Toplikar, Olathe (I)
▪ District 16:
Democrat: Linda Featherston, Overland Park
Republican: Rashard Young, Overland Park
▪ District 17:
Democrat: Jo Ella Hoy, Lenexa
Republican: Kristine Sapp, Lenexa
▪ District 18
Democrat: Cindy Neighbor, Shawnee (I)
Republican: Calvin Vandegrift, Shawnee; Cathy Gordon, Shawnee
▪ District 19:
Democrat: Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, Overland Park (I)
▪ District 20:
Democrat: Mari-Lynn Poskin, Leawood
Republican: Jan H. Kessinger, Overland Park (I); Jane Dirks, Overland Park
▪ District 21:
Democrat: Jerry Stogsdill, Prairie Village (I)
Republican: Bob Reese, Prairie Village
▪ District 22
Democrat: Lindsay Vaughn, Overland Park; Randen Smith, Overland Park
▪ District 23
Democrat: Susan Ruiz, Shawnee (I)
Republican: Jeff Shull, Lenexa
▪ District 24
Democrat: Jarrod Ousley, Merriam (I)
▪ District 25
Democrat: Rui Xu, Westwood (I)
▪ District 26
Democrat: W. Michael Shimeall, Olathe
Republican: Adam T. Thomas, Olathe (I)
▪ District 27
Democrat: Sona Patel, Overland Park
Republican, Sean E. Tarwater Sr., Stilwell (I)
▪ District 28
Democrat: Sally Jercha, Leawood
Republican: Fred Lehman, Overland Park; Carl Turner, Leawood
▪ District 29
Democrat: Brett Parker, Overland Park (I)
Republican: Jerry Clinton, Overland Park
▪ District 30
Democrat: Brandon Woodard, Lenexa (I)
Republican: Jesse Gillam, Olathe; Laura Williams, Lenexa
▪ District 38
Democrat: Sherri D. Grogan, Basehor
Republican: Timothy H. Johnson, Bonner Springs; Noel Hull, Bonner Springs; David K. Breuer, Basehor
▪ District 39
Democrat: Michael Bolton, Shawnee; Les Lampe, Shawnee
Republican: Owen Donohoe, Shawnee (I)
▪ District 43
Democrat: Pamela Finley, Edgerton
Republican: Bill Sutton, Gardner (I)
▪ District 48
Democrat: Jennifer Day, Overland Park (l)
Republican: Terry Frederick, Overland Park
▪ District 49
Democrat: Katie Dixon, Olathe; Darnell Hunt, Olathe
Republican: Megan Lynn, Olathe (I)
▪ District 78
Democrat: Kathy Meyer, Olathe
Republican: Ron Ryckman, Olathe (I)
▪ District 121
Democrat: James Rexford, Olathe
Republican: John Resman, Olathe (I)
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 7:15 PM with the headline "We know who will wear the JoCo sheriff’s badge. He’s a look at the contested races."