photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, February 2014.

Five area Democrats will face no opposition in the Aug. 4 primary, and no Republicans have filed to challenge them in the Nov. 3 general election.

Lawrence Sen. Marci Francisco was first elected to represent District 2 in 2004 and will serve her fifth term in the state Senate. Francisco previously served on the Lawrence City Commission and as the city’s mayor for two terms.

Lawrence Rep. Barbara Ballard has served in the Kansas House of Representatives since 1992 and will serve her 15th term as the 44th District representative. Ballard also serves as an administrator at the University of Kansas through her role as a senior director at the Dole Institute of Politics.

Lawrence Rep. Mike Amyx, who was first elected to represent the 45th District in 2018, will serve his second term in the Kansas Statehouse. Amyx previously served on the Lawrence City Commission, including six terms as mayor, and on the Douglas County Commission.

Lawrence Rep. Boog Highberger will serve his fourth term as the 46th District representative. Highberger was first elected in 2014 and previously served on the Lawrence City Commission and as the city’s mayor.

Ann Mah, of Topeka, is seeking her second term on the Kansas State Board of Education, which she was first elected to in 2016. Mah served in the state House of Representatives for eight years prior to running for the board.