Topeka ? One-third of the Legislature’s members have filed for re-election so far this year.

The most prominent among them is House Majority Leader Ray Merrick. The Stilwell Republican was appointed to his seat in January 2000, elected to his first full term later that year and re-elected three times since then.

Forty-one of the House’s 125 members have guaranteed themselves a spot on the August primary election ballot. Thirty-one are Republicans and 10 are Democrats.

In the Senate, 13 of 40 members have filed so far, and 11 of them are Republicans.

The filing deadline is June 10.

Legislative candidates can file by petition to lower the fee, but most choose to pay the full fee, $130 for the Senate and $105 for the House.

Many incumbents also procrastinate, but others filed for re-election a year ago. Sen. David Wysong, a Mission Hills Republican, was the first, filing on Feb. 20, 2007.