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Suzanne Wikle

A first term Lawrence state representative easily fended off a challenge in Tuesday’s Democratic primary from a well-funded candidate seeking to tap into the growing Democratic socialist movement.

Rep. Suzanne Wikle, D-Lawrence, was ahead by more than 1,500 votes, as of 9:30 p.m., over challenger TJ Campsey, a local activist who ran a campaign that highlighted his membership in the Communist Party USA.

In the race to represent Kansas House District 10 in southeast Lawrence, Wikle was leading 80% to 20%, according to unofficial totals from the Douglas County Clerk’s office.

Wikle, a Lawrence resident who previously worked as policy director for a children’s advocacy organization, was running for re-election for the first time. Wikle, who was first elected two years ago, campaigned on ideas to lower property taxes, raising the state’s minimum wage, and expanding Medicaid, among other issues.

Campsey is a brewer at Lawrence’s Free State Brewing Company, and has been a vocal activist in the area for more than 20 years, he said. His campaign pushed the idea that Democrats should start supporting more progressive policies rather than lobbying for moderate policy changes in hopes of winning support from Republicans.

Campsey’s message did garner significant financial support from donors both in Lawrence and outside the area. His campaign reported just more than $28,000 in contributions from January through late July. That actually was about $1,000 more than Wikle raised, although Campsey did self fund his campaign to the tune of about $6,000, according to campaign finance reports.

No Republican filed for the 10th District, which is heavily dominated by registered Democrats. As such, Wikle is set to run unopposed in the November general election.

In other legislative races with Lawrence or Douglas County ties:

• Incumbent Lance Neelly, R-Tonganoxie, was narrowly fending off a challenge from a Leavenworth County commissioner in the Republican primary in Kansas House District 42. The district includes a sliver of far eastern Lawrence, all of northern Eudora and Tonganoxie.

As of about 9:50 p.m. with 72% of precincts reporting, Neelly had 53% of the vote to challenger Mike Stieben’s 47% of the vote. Neelly’s vote lead was 65 votes. Stieben had been leading for most of the evening, but late returns were favoring Neelly.

Neelly has served in the Kansas House since 2021, and has been a regular member of the conservative caucus of the GOP. Stieben, also a Tonganoxie area resident, has served as a Leavenworth County commissioner since 2019. He ran a campaign that supported the idea of capping property taxes for people 65 and older, and also campaigned on fully-funding special education in K-12 school districts.

Neelly, if results hold, will face Brandon Wendt, a Tonganoxie Democrat, in the November general election.

• In a district that represents Baldwin City and much of southern Douglas County, the Republican incumbent won a three-way primary contest.

In the race for Kansas House District 5, Courtney Sappington, R-Baldwin City, finished with 59% of the vote, besting Republican challengers, Courtney Crawford, Paola, and Jon Chitwood, Spring Hill, who won 27% and 14% of the vote, respectively.

Sappington, who has served in the Kansas House for one term, campaigned on the idea of creating a property tax cap for local governments, and also came out in strong opposition to large data center projects receiving any tax breaks. She also said the environmental issues related to data centers need to be better studied.

Sappington is set to face Henry Johns, a rural Lawrence Democrat, in the November general election.

• The wife of a current Kansas House member who chose not to seek re-election was leading a Republican primary for a district that covers parts of western Douglas County and multiple counties to the north.

Paula Newell Ellis, R-Meriden, was atop a three-way primary race to replace her husband, Ronald Ellis, in Kansas House District 47. Paula Newell Ellis had 45% of the vote with about two-thirds of precincts reporting. That had Ellis ahead of Christopher Feuerborn, Ozawkie, and Steven Scott, Ozawkie in the Republican primary. Feuerborn had 34% of the vote and Scott had 21%. Ellis had a 51 vote lead as of of about 9:40 p.m.

Ellis is a former hospital administrator who has campaigned on lowering property taxes, and other policies to help the agricultural community and small businesses.

Ellis, if the results hold, is set to face Mary T. Williams, a Meriden Democrat, in the November general election.

• A trio of Lawrence Democrats faced no opposition in Tuesday’s primary for their House seats, and also will not face a Republican opponent in the November general election. Reps. Barbara Ballard, Mike Amyx and Brooklynne Mosley in House Districts 44, 45 and 46, respectively, all advanced in Tuesday’s primary.

One House district that stretches to the city limits of southeast Lawrence and includes a large part of southern Eudora will have a contested race in November.

In Kansas House District 117 — which includes a significant part of western Johnson County — Republican incumbent Adam Turk, Shawnee, will face Democratic challenger Brandon Holland, Baldwin City.