Will a Trumpless ballot shift Shawnee County races?

By Martin Hawver

While we’re waiting for the campaigns for Shawnee County-based Kansas House of Representatives races to get into at least second gear – without President Donald Trump as a drawing card to lure voters to the ballot – the heavily Democratic House delegation here might expand even further.

Oh, Shawnee County has five Democratic state representatives and just three Republicans representing us at the Statehouse. And, you don’t hear much about it – depending on the crowd you hang out with – Trump/J.D. Vance, won 39,901 votes in the general election in 2024 in Shawnee County, a little below the 40,308 total for Kamala Harris/Tim Walz. That is a 49.26% tally for Harris, 48.77% for Trump.

That tally shades Shawnee County, and the locals here generally don’t compare their county to, say, Douglas, Johnson, Riley or Wyandotte, all of which Harris/Walz carried by as much as 68% (Douglas, of course).

Statewide, Trump won 785,802 to 544,853, or 57% to 41%.

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Who do you want in the Statehouse, and what does a Trumpless ballot mean for the Kansas House races? Or did Trump help Republicans hold onto their seats, but not expand their influence in the Statehouse?

Without a flaming presidential race to draw ballots, do Republicans want to talk about support for the current White House occupant, or answer questions with “Donald who?...”

The Shawnee County candidates’ names are already in type for the August primary ballot, but the first year and a half of Trump may have made the whole party-line issue irrelevant for especially GOP House candidates. It could be a return to talk about property taxes, voting rights, legalized medical (at least requiring a prescription) marijuana, or good education for grandchildren.

And, of course, support or protection for Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. Oh, along with support for more state funds for cities and counties to keep sidewalks safe for Boomers and other Grown-Ups who might use a cane or walker to get in their exercise, or even just for grocery shopping.

Without a presidential race, the issues become more local, and more targeted to Boomers who tend to vote while younger voters mow their grass, or follow soccer, or just don’t bother to vote if there isn’t a potential president on the ballot.

To give you a feel for just how Republican, or Democrat, Shawnee County districts are based on the 2024 presidential vote in each of those districts (some House seats stretch into neighboring counties but these are the votes within Shawnee County), we have:



District 50, one full-term Republican Kyle McNorton, R-Topeka, unopposed this year. In 2024, he had 8,650 votes to 4,389 for Democrat Jessica Porter. In the district in 2024, it was 8,414 Trump, 4,634 Harris for president.

District 52, three-term Rep. Jesse Borjon, R-Topeka, vs. Democrat Toni Scalia. Neither has a primary challenger. Borjon beat Democrat Jacquie Lightcap 7,641 to 6,087 in 2024. 2024 presidential vote in district: Trump 7,047, Harris 6,688.

District 53, two-term Rep. Kirk Haskins, D-Topeka. Unopposed this year, he defeated Republican Jeff Coen 5,554 to 4,736 in 2024. Presidential vote in district: Harris, 6,046, Trump 4,870.

District 54, seven-term Rep. Ken Corbet, R-Topeka, vs. Democrat Chris Tanner, Topeka. Corbet defeated Democrat Jade Pearson Ramsdell 5,120 to 2,772 in 2024. Presidential vote in district: 5,055 Trump, 2,850 Harris.

District 55, two-term Rep. Tobias Schlingensiepen, D-Topeka, faces Zinaia Armstead in the Democratic primary, and the winner will face primary-unopposed Republican Lanell Griffith in the general election. In 2024, Schlingensiepen defeated Republican Michael Barron 5,662-3,292. In the 2024 presidential race in the district, it was Harris, 5,552, Trump 3,404.

District 56, five-term Rep. Virgil Weigel, D-Topeka, faces Braeden Curwick, Topeka, in the Democratic primary; winner will face unchallenged Republican nominee Elvin Fajardo in the general election. In 2024, Weigel defeated Republican Pennie Boyer-Kloos 5,925 to 4,918. In the presidential vote in the district in 2024, Harris won 5,984 votes, Trump 4,938.

District 57, seven-term Rep. John Acala, D-Topeka, is unopposed for re-election this year, and in 2024 defeated Republican Donna McGinty 4,140 to 2,882. In the 2024 presidential vote in the district, Harris defeated Trump 3,830 to 3,255.

District 58, one-term Rep. Alexis Simmons, D-Topeka, will face Republican Michael Mathewson for a second time in the general election. In 2024, Simmons defeated Mathewson 4,759 to 2,731. In the district in 2024, Harris defeated Trump 4,707 to 2,891.

Celebrate the 250^th

at the Kansas Capitol

Celebrate the USA’s 250^th birthday with a free community gathering at 7 pm Thursday, July 2, on the Kansas Capitol grounds.

“Celebrate America: A Capitol Kansas Concert” will feature the Topeka Symphony Orchestra, the Capital City Chorus, the Kansas Poet Laureate, a welcome program and food trucks.

The celebration, in the heart of Kansas’ capital city, was organized by Visit Topeka in collaboration with the Kansas 250 Commission and the support of local sponsors. Organizers say they invite “residents and visitors to gather outside the Kansas State Capitol for an evening of music, reflection, and civic pride.

“Set against one of the state’s most iconic backdrops, Celebrate America: A Capitol Kansas Concert brings the community together for a memorable summer evening in downtown Topeka.”

Here’s the schedule:

• 7 to 8 pm: Welcome program featuring opening remarks, a presentation by the Kansas Poet Laureate, and a performance by the Capital City Chorus.
• 8 to 9 pm: The Topeka Symphony Orchestra takes the stage to perform an evening of patriotic American music.

Details & Tips:

• What to bring: Lawn chairs or blankets are encouraged for comfortable seating on the lawn.
• Food & Drink: Food trucks will be on-site, along with water stations (bring your own reusable bottle).

Wait, there’s more:

• A beer garden will be located in front of Celtic Fox at SW 8^th & Jackson (alcohol is not permitted on the Capitol grounds).
• After the concert, you can head over to Evergy Plaza at 7^th & Kansas Avenue for a light and water show synchronized to music.



Day tripping across Kansas

Taking day-long or longer trips to explore Kansas is a fun activity that retired couples or friend groups or grandparents/grandkids enjoy (hopefully gas prices will come down).

Now the Kansas Sampler Foundation has launched the “Online Kansas Guidebook” to help Kansans and visitors enjoy their travels even more.

The guidebook, www.kansasguidebook.org , is free to view. Plus, Kansas Explorers Club members can unlock powerful trip-planning tools designed to help you experience Kansas more deeply, Kansas Sampler officials said.

With the guidebook, users can explore Kansas by region, browse must-see places, find ideas for day trips and weekend drives, and discover stops nearby or along the way. Because the guidebook, which was published as a book, is online, it can be updated as places open, close, change hours, or add something new.

Joining the Kansas Explorers Club offers additional features and a way to be part of a statewide group of curious Kansas explorers. Members can use the Kansas Guidebook to create a Kansas bucket list, add their own reviews, use trip-planning tools, and help build a stronger, more useful guide for others, the officials said.

“The trip planner feature helps turn curiosity into adventure,” Simone Elder, executive director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, said. “Built from more than 5,000+ places and 18,000+ photos collected across all 105 counties, the planner makes it easy to explore Kansas your way.”

Annual membership to the Kansas Explorers Club is $18.61 (Kansas became a state in 1861); more information is at https://kansassampler.org/kansasexplorersclub/

Kansas is filled with hidden gems, scenic backroads, quirky roadside stops, unforgettable meals, historic downtowns, and small-town discoveries and stories worth knowing, Sampler officials said.



"With our mission to preserve and sustain rural culture, we think this tool helps expand the audience for Kansas communities of all sizes,” Elder said. “Our collection of lesser-known details and attractions helps get visitors into and know even the smallest of towns.”

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The Kansas Sampler Foundation is a public nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sustaining rural culture by educating Kansans about Kansas and supporting rural communities. Through programs like the Kansas Guidebook, Kansas Explorers Club, and the Big Kansas Road Trip, the foundation works to celebrate and encourage exploration of Kansas communities.

Editor’s Journal

Where will you live?

By Vickie Griffith Hawver

Are you thinking about where you’ll call home in the future? If you’re nearing retirement or in retirement, it’s a good idea to start planning, says an aging-in-place specialist in an article scheduled for the July/August Hawvers’ Still Booming (HSB) Newsletter.

That article and another story spotlighting the built-from-scratch, senior-friendly home a Topeka couple has just completed are in the first installment of an ongoing series on senior-living options we’ll have in upcoming HSB Newsletters. We’ll let you know when these stories are ready for you in the July/August edition.

We hope you’re still enjoying your May/June HSB Newsletter since this publication – unlike the quick-read HSB Dispatches – have multiple pages (44 in May/June) in magazine format, designed for you to go back to read and enjoy over time -- just like the old days before rapid-fire, addictive videos took over social media.

The Newsletters have helpful information, such as the senior-friendly home series, but also offer good old-fashioned human-interest stories – specifically on how area Boomers et al are writing the next chapters in their lives.

In the May/June issue, one Boomer couple in their 70s said they have no intention of retiring from their jobs – “We’re still pups” they say – while an 80-year-old shared how he has used 18 years of retirement to discover a love of writing memoirs and books, a skill he never knew he had. And he’s not writing as a job but because it’s become a passion that enriches his retirement. Another story explores how a Topeka couple scrimped for decades to achieve their dream of seeing the world—and how they’re loving every minute of it.

We hope these “next chapters” inspire you to keep working at your job if you’re so inclined or to find new passions in retirement or to revisit paths you earlier thought were impossible -- or at least the stories make you feel a little more connected to the awesome Baby Boomers & other Grown-Ups in our community.

If you haven’t had a chance to check out the May/June HSB Newsletter, here’s the link: https://hawvernews.com/newsletter-1/ And please stay tuned for the July/August edition.

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I’d love to hear suggestions about what to include in future HSB Newsletters & Dispatches. Just write to vickie@hawvernews.com; please note the “e” in Vickie. Thank you.

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Here’s a request: If you enjoy the Dispatches & Newsletters, please tell your friends. We’d love to grow our subscriber (it’s FREE) list – a growing list will make it possible for us to attract advertisers to offset our publication expenses and even supplement retirement funds in these expensive times. Just ask your friends to go to www.hawvernews.com to sign up for their free subscription. Thank you and take care.

Not yet a subscriber?

Just go to www.hawvernews.com for more information and to sign up for your free subscription to Hawvers' Still Booming. And if you would, please be so kind as to tell your friends about us. We would truly appreciate that. Thank you.

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