Kansas State Rep. John Resman dies at 70: ‘Calmness in the political storm’
Kansas lawmakers announced the death of Kansas Republican Rep. John Resman Monday, who had served in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2017. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly ordered flags at state facilities to be flown at half-staff following his death.
Resman’s death was announced in a press release Monday by Republican Kansas House Speaker Rep. Daniel Hawkins.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Representative John Resman of Olathe this morning at his home,” Ridge Rose, a spokesperson for Hawkins, said in the press release.
A retired deputy sheriff, Resman, 70, had served as the House representative for Kansas district 121, which includes areas of Lenexa, Olathe and Gardner, since 2017.
He replaced Olathe Republican Rep. Mike Kiegerl, who retired from the Legislature in Feb. 2017, citing personal health concerns and frustration with the legislature possibly raising taxes.
In the press release, Hawkins said Resman “served with integrity, dedication, and a genuine care for the people of his district.”
“Beyond being a true friend to so many in the House, he was a strong advocate for his community, always approached his work dutifully, and thoughtfully took in the perspectives of his constituents when making decisions,” Hawkins said.
Resman remembered by law enforcement as a ‘good man’
Resman was born on April 4, 1955, in Passaic, New Jersey, Republican Rep. Bob Lewis said in Monday’s House session.
After graduating from high school, he attended William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey, before enlisting in the U.S. Army in Jan. 1976, according to his campaign website.
Resman was stationed at the United States Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, where he served as a military policeman and correctional specialist while he attended Park University. He later served in the Kansas National Guard and as a federal correctional officer at institutions in Leavenworth and Otisville, New York, the website said.
He returned to Kansas in 1982 to work for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. Resman worked for the sheriff’s office for nearly 30 years, working his way up to the title of captain and a member of the office’s command staff before retiring in 2010. According to the website, Resman helped the sheriff’s office develop its crime scene, computer forensic and sexual predator units. He served on the sheriff’s office honor guard.
Several law enforcement agencies paid tribute to Resman on social media Monday, including the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
“All who knew Resman will miss him greatly, but his spirit of kindness and dedication will live on in the hearts of all who knew him,” the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
The Kansas Department of Corrections paid tribute to Resman in the comments on the Facebook post, calling him a “good man.”
“He was a good man. He was good for Kansas. He was good for corrections. He was good for us all,” the Kansas Department of Corrections said.
‘Never boastful, always kind’
During the 2025-2026 Kansas Legislative sessions, Resman served as vice-chair for two House committees, including the committee on transportation and public safety budgets, and the committee on corrections and juvenile justice. He was also involved in committees on corrections and juvenile justice oversight, and federal and state affairs.
In the past, Resman also worked on a special committee dedicated to foster care oversight, general government budget, children and seniors and government, technology and security.
On Monday, House chamber proceedings began with a prayer for Resman, led by 2026 House Chaplain Rev. L.D. Holmes, who asked for comfort, strength and grace for Resman’s family.
“Today is like a nightmare to them. They have lost a pillar of their very being in the passing of John,” Holmes said. “Words cannot fully communicate the sense of emptiness, unbelief and lack of comprehension, as to why he was taken so quickly.”
Throughout the session, nine lawmakers, both Democrat and Republican, paid tribute to Resman, beginning with Rep. Lewis.
Lewis recalled Resman’s love for his family, his expansive experience in corrections and law enforcement and his care for Kansas’ youth.
In an era of politics “defined by brashness, personal attacks and loud sound bites,” Lewis said, Resman was “an antidote.”
“He was the definition of calmness in the political storm. John was never boastful, always kind,” Lewis said. “We will miss him dearly, but never forget the lessons he taught us. May he rest in peace.”
Flags will be flown at half-staff until Resman’s interment, which has yet to be announced, according to a press release from Kelly’s press secretary, Grace Hoge.
