photo by: Contributed

Mike Amyx

With every seat in the Kansas House up for election this year, nearly all of the the representatives serving Lawrence and Douglas County already have filed for re-election ahead of the June 1 deadline.

Rep. Mike Amyx became the latest to announce that he will seek re-election in the Kansas House of Representatives.

The Democrat from Lawrence who represents Kansas’ 45th District, which encompasses parts of Lawrence, the city of Lecompton and surrounding rural township areas within Douglas County, announced via press release Friday that he filed to run again. Amyx is seeking his fourth term in the Kansas House.

Amyx was first elected to the House in 2019, but he had served in multiple elected roles in Douglas County before that, including serving 18 years on the Lawrence City Commission and five on the Douglas County Commission. So far, Amyx is the only person to file to represent the 45th District.

Douglas County voters will see several state legislative races on the ballot this election cycle, as the nine Kansas House seats that represent the county in the state House are up for reelection this year. Here is a breakdown of the candidates who filed so far in the other districts:

• District 5 — Primarily in southwestern Douglas County. Henry Johns of Lawrence, a Democrat, and Courtney Sappington of Baldwin City, a Republican who is the incumbent.

• District 10 — Includes the southern portion of Lawrence and the Baker wetlands. Suzanne Wikle of Lawrence, a Democrat, is the current representative and the only person who has filed.

• District 42 — Spans parts of Douglas, Leavenworth and Jefferson Counties, including the eastern portion of Lawrence. Lance Neelly of Tonganoxie, a Republican and current representative, and Mike Stieben, a Republican from Tonganoxie both filed.

• District 43 — Covers parts of Johnson County and a small portion of Douglas County, specifically a partial section of Palmyra Township. The incumbent, William “Bill” Sutton of Gardner, a Republican, and Kristen Schultz and Keith Davenport, both Democrats from Gardner, have filed.

• District 44 — Includes portions of western Lawrence and Wakarusa Township. The current representative Barbara Ballard, a Democrat of Lawrence, is the only person who filed.

• District 46 — Includes downtown Lawrence, the University of Kansas campus and much of North Lawrence. Brooklynne Mosley, Democrat of Lawrence, is the incumbent and only candidate who filed.

• District 47 — Covers parts of Jackson, Jefferson and Douglas counties including a small southwestern edge of Lawrence and townships in northwestern Douglas County. Paula Newell Ellis, a Republican of Meriden, and Mary T. Williams, a Democrat of Meriden, both filed for election. The incumbent, Ronald B. Ellis, a Republican of Meridian, has not yet filed for reelection.

• District 117 — Covers Johnson and Douglas counties, including a small portion of Lawrence and surrounding eastern Douglas County townships. Adam Turk of Shawnee, a Republican, currently represents the district; however, no candidates have filed yet.

The deadline for candidates to file is Monday, June 1 at noon. The primary elections will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 4, while the general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

photo by: Douglas County

Kansas House Districts in Douglas County.