photo by: Nick Krug

Outgoing Lawrence City Commissioner Mike Amyx smiles as he is presented with a memento for his years of service by Mayor Leslie Soden and the other commissioners during the Commission's meeting on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018 at City Hall.

Former Lawrence Mayor Mike Amyx filed Friday to run as a Democrat in the 45th District House seat being vacated this year by retiring Republican Rep. Tom Sloan.

Amyx, who owns Amyx Barber Shop in downtown Lawrence, had served 13 years on the Lawrence City Commission before he decided not to seek re-election in 2017.

He previously served on the Douglas County Commission from 1988 to 1993, and before that served earlier terms on the City Commission from 1983 to 1988.

In a phone interview, Amyx said it was never his intention to retire when he decided to step down from the City Commission last year.

“It was time for me to do other things,” he said. “I thought about the state for quite a while, and also going back to the County Commission. This seemed like the right thing for me. A lot of decisions the state makes affect local governments.”

Amyx became the fifth person to enter the 45th District House race.

Two other Democrats, Steven X. Davis, of Lawrence, and Aidan Loveland Koster, of Lecompton, also filed. Davis ran unsuccessfully in the 44th District in the Democratic primary against Rep. Barbara Ballard in 2016.

Also running are Republicans Cynthia Smith, a retired attorney from Lawrence, and Lawrence resident Ronald Thacker.

Related story

• Dec. 26, 2017 — Lawrence City Commissioner Mike Amyx to end long career as city leader