These Kansas House candidates want to represent southeast KCK in Topeka. Why?
In the quickly approaching Aug. 4 primary election, voters will narrow a packed pool of candidates running for all 125 opening seats in the Kansas House of Representatives.
And in one key Kansas City, Kansas, district, residents will soon have to pick one of three Democrats to vie a lone Republican candidate in the November general election. Whoever wins the general election would be tasked with advocating for that specific district, which reaches into south KCK neighborhoods such as Argentine, Turner and Rosedale.
All four candidates, including Democrats Paul Davidson, Emily Hane and Eli Woody and Republican Dennis Grindel, want to represent Kansas District 31, a widely diverse area that encompasses Wyandotte County’s southeast corner.
Grindel, who will not have to compete in the primary, previously sought the District 31 seat in 2024 but lost to outgoing Representative Louis Ruiz who previously held the seat for several years. Ruiz recently announced that he would not seek re-election in this year’s election.
Christian Ramirez, a Wyandotte County commissioner who also filed to represent the area at the state level, recently pulled out of the election, citing health concerns. He currently represents the county’s third district, which also encompasses the city’s southeast corner.
So, why do any of these people want to represent this part of KCK, and what do they hope to accomplish?
Democratic candidates competing in the primary race identified support for LGBTQ+ rights, property tax relief, environmental preservation, better health care and access to fully-funded educational programs as key points they’d want to advocate for at the state level.
And, all three admitted they were skeptical about whether the Kansas City Chiefs’ move into Wyandotte County will actually benefit residents in their districts.
Eli Woody
Woody, an English and Public Speaking teacher at Olathe Public Schools, thinks residents’ ongoing need for property tax relief remains a key issue in his district.
If elected, he plans to advocate at both the local and state levels for officials to find a legitimate solution that would lessen residents’ tax burdens.
Woody also wants to call on legislation that expands Kansans’ access to health care that they can afford and fully fund the public school system, including special education programming that has long been under-funded.
He sees expanding access to affordable medical care and housing as key ways to lessen residents’ financial struggles at a time when groceries and gas are particularly expensive.
The Topeka native, who brings 13 years of experience in education, moved to Wyandotte County in 2023 after meeting his wife, also originally from northeast Kansas.
He identified the University of Kansas Medical Center, a major employer in the area, and the large number of multigenerational Latino families as key assets to District 31.
Woody recognizes that it’s important to factor diversity and the tight-knit nature of his district into how that area is governed from a state view.
“The needs in this district might differ than others due to the number of multigenerational homes and the combination of different languages spoken across the district,” he said.
It’s important for working people to hold public office in areas that aren’t extremely wealthy, Woody said, because that’s more reflective of the people who are being served.
He said there are too many people with privilege who are involved in politics.
“I want to actually represent the district’s voice, needs and diversity,” he said. “I have not held local office before. It is very difficult for working class people to get involved with politics, due to the time and financial demands.”
And, Wyandotte County needs to be represented by people who look and live like them, who have shared experiences and who will fight for increased representation of marginalized communities.
Outside of the classroom, Woody enjoys judging area Speech and Debate Competitions, is a member of the National Education Association’s Kansas Chapter and is a member of the Friendship Heights Neighborhood Association. He also runs with the Kansas Run Club.
Paul Davidson
Davidson, a self-employed musician and music teacher who lives in Rosedale,
Davidson, who has lived in Wyandotte County for more than 30 years, similarly believes that rising property tax bills have presented a significant challenge to daily life for many residents.
A former neighbor of his is now homeless because they couldn’t afford their property taxes, he said.
If elected, Davidson would advocate, and convince other lawmakers to support, legislation capping the percent of property taxes that residents are required to pay.
“I want to help people as a public servant. I want to provide real property tax relief for all Kansas residents,” he said, adding that his several years of public service and advocacy work in the community sets him apart from his fellow candidates.
Various sections of District 31 have their own challenges including gentrification, fast development, and homes getting turned into short-term rentals. Other parts of the area are undergoing needed revitalization, he said.
Davidson also wants to support legislation outlining protections involving data center development (including a three-year moratorium), favoring water and energy preservation and calling for funding public schools.
“I bring a depth of experience, getting things done while in the minority, that no one else in this race has,” Davidson said. “I hope voters will value that and send me to Topeka to work for them.”
Davidson also volunteers as a cantor at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, enjoys volunteering locally and fundraising for Kantorei KC and has volunteered for Congresswoman Sharice Davids’ campaign.
He performed as a soloist on two Grammy-winning albums from 2007 and 2015, and now votes on the Recording Academy.
Emily Hane
Hane, who raises money for the University of Kansas as an employee at the KU Endowment, brings more than 15 years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Ruiz announced over the weekend that he would endorse her campaign.
She believes that the state needs to push for laws that help reduce residents’ costs of living and that direct resources into the public schools system. She, like her fellow candidates, expressed a pressing need to get special education fully funded.
“I believe we need to adopt policies that make life more affordable, like expanding medicaid, providing renter relief and expanding the senior property tax freeze program,” Hane said.
She also thinks the state should pass legislation that helps support local food banks, nutrition assistance and community gardens “that provide local access to healthy, affordable food.”
Hane, like other candidates in this election, sees rising costs and property tax bills as major issues affecting Kansans today. She plans to continue to work alongside legislators to support House Democrats’ plans to pass laws outlining housing and tax relief, more affordable health care and accessible education, Hane said.
She also opposes the proposed constitutional amendment that would change how Kansas selects its Supreme Court justices.
The Topeka native moved to District 31 in 2012, after serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer out of the country. She bought her home in Wyandotte in 2020.
Among her favorite parts of the district are Joe’s BBQ and Hana’s Donuts, the community’s walkability and its tight-knit nature.
“On my street, I can point to the houses where grandparents live next door to their children who live across the street from their own grown children,” Hane said. “It’s so special to see families living close by and reinvesting in the same neighborhood.
However, the area does have serious needs for infrastructure improvement, such as addressing flooding that has long affected neighborhoods like Argentine during rainy times of year. She also wants to see more road and sidewalk improvements to make walking throughout the district a bit safer.
When she’s not on the campaign trail, Hane serves as a member of the Build WyCo board. The organization that invests and helps people get access to affordable housing. She also enjoys getting involved in events held by the Rosedale Development Association and volunteers for an alumni group called Watkins Scholarship Hall.
Over the course of her career, Hane has helped raise millions for educational programming and safe water access.
“There is more than enough work that needs to be done in Wyandotte County, and the representative from this district can play an important part in building the next generation of leadership and public servants for our community,” Hane said. “To truly get things done in Topeka, we need to be unified, we need to learn from our seasoned public servants, and we need a deeper bench of young leaders.”
