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The Kansas Statehouse in Topeka

A Kansas Senate district that once was confined to Johnson County now has a new look to it with large parts of eastern Douglas and southern Leavenworth counties added to the district through redistricting.

Now, the Johnson County incumbent in the district is facing a challenger from the new territory. Sen. Beverly Gossage is squaring off against Bryan Zesiger, a retired Army pilot who owns a winery in Leavenworth County, in the Republican primary for Kansas Senate District No. 9. The winner is expected to face in the general election Norman Mallicoat, of Olathe, who is the lone Democrat to file for the seat.

The newly redrawn boundaries of Senate District No. 9 now include all of the Baldwin City, Eudora and Tonganoxie city limits. It also includes De Soto and a heavily populated portion of Johnson County along Kansas Highway 7 between Olathe and Lenexa.

Here’s a look at the Republican primary election candidates.

photo by: Submitted

Beverly Gossage

Beverly Gossage

Gossage, whose rural Eudora home is on the Johnson side of the county line, has a long Douglas County history. She is a former teacher at Lawrence’s Deerfield Elementary, and later became the director of Lawrence’s Sylvan Learning Center. But she also is part of the family that owns Lawrence-based Kastl Plumbing, and she helped that business with its employee benefits.

That led to the career she has had since 2002, owning a private company — HSA Benefits Consulting — that helps businesses with their employee benefits. Gossage said she was part of the national effort during the George W. Bush administration to establish health savings accounts. Creating new solutions to help with everyday problems is a theme of her campaign, she said.

“I am an independent, reform-minded advocate for the everyday Kansan,” Gossage told the Journal-World via email. “I believe in adopting sound policy that solves problems, and am willing to work with members of both parties to get the policy right.”

In response to a questionnaire from the Journal-World, Gossage listed three issues she will fight the hardest to support in the Legislature.

• Promoting economic opportunity by “reducing taxes and empowering entrepreneurs by removing barriers to success.”

• Health care reform that “improves access to quality, affordable care and gives consumers more choices.”

• Greater choice in education. “I support a student-focused approach to education, where we provide parents options and maximize resources to teachers and classrooms,” Gossage said via email.

photo by: Submitted

Bryan Zesiger

Bryan Zesiger

Zesiger’s career has spanned from an Army combat pilot to a farmer. The rural Lawrence resident thinks both will help him in the Kansas Legislature. Zesiger spent 26 years in the military, and then founded Z&M Twisted Vines — a vineyard and winery — in southern Leavenworth County upon retirement from the Army.

That venture got him involved in politics as he began work crafting and advocating for bills that address taxation on agritourism lands and buildings. He said his experience as a farmer and vineyard operator has given him good insight into the world of Kansas agriculture, which remains a huge part of the state’s economy. His years in the military, he said, gave him a good view of the broader world and its “diverse cultures and leadership dynamics.”

“This experience, coupled with my entrepreneurial ventures in Kansas, has equipped me to approach legislative challenges with a balanced and inclusive mindset,” he told the Journal-World via email. “I prioritize people over politics, special interests and policies, striving to represent all constituents fairly and effectively.”

In response to a questionnaire from the Journal-World, Zesiger listed three issues he will fight the hardest to support in the Legislature.

• Property taxes. He said property tax increases are a critical issue that “has not been adequately addressed by my opponent.” He said his goal will be for policies that ensure property taxes do not outpace the incomes of retirees and working individuals.

• Supporting “community heroes.” He said he recognizes the vital role employees of police, fire and emergency service departments, schools and hospitals play in a community. He said he will “advocate for full funding and support of these institutions.”

• Agricultural advocacy. Zesiger said lawmakers need to recognize the importance of agriculture to the state’s identity and economy. “I will work to ensure our policies support and promote this vital sector, integrating agritourism and industry for sustainable growth,” he said.