Republican incumbent Tom Kessler has Democratic challenger in Dan Johnson
By Blaise Mesa,
1 days ago
Rep. Tom Kessler, a Wichita Republican, is running for a third term in office. He is challenged by social worker Dan Johnson.
Democrats have won this seat in three of the last five elections.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote. Early voting starts Oct. 16. You can find your polling place and the races you vote in here .
Who are the candidates in Kansas House District 96?
Democrat Dan Johnson
Johnson has three decades of work in social services, including working for the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
He’s focused on youth offenders and drug and alcohol counseling. He’s also coordinated distribution of food at local pantries.
“I have worked with the most vulnerable populations in our society and I spent many years training groups across Kansas about the differences in the social classes, and more specifically, how to work with people stuck in generational poverty,” he said.
Johnson is endorsed by the Kansas branch of the AFL-CIO, Cannabis Justice Coalition-Kansas, the Kansas National Education Association and Game On for Kansas Schools.
Kessler first took office in 2021. He is the vice chair of the Federal and State Affairs Committee and a member of the Taxation Committee.
Kessler is a small-business owner — Tom’s Wine and Spirits. He also serves on the Citizen Participation Organization, the District Advisory Board for the 3rd City Council District, and he co-chairs the Magnet Advisory Committee for USD 259.
“I’ve launched several small businesses here and have been deeply involved in my children’s education, sports and scouting activities, underscoring my strong belief in the value of family and community,” Kessler said.
He’s endorsed by the Cannabis Justice Coalition-Kansas, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, NFIB-Kansas, the Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansans for Life and the Kansas Rifle Association.
Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire and didn’t list a campaign website on the secretary of state’s candidate list.
If elected, which of these politicians would you most closely resemble?
Options include: Joe Biden, Sharice Davids, Bob Dole, Nancy Kassebaum, Laura Kelly, Roger Marshall, Jerry Moran, Donald Trump or someone else.
Johnson: Terry McLaughlin
Kessler: I have great respect for several of our current leaders, particularly U.S. Rep. Ron Estes. We share a strong commitment to tax reform, reducing burdensome regulations, defending Wichita’s aviation industry, protecting our agriculture sector and prioritizing support for our military and their families.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
If you could pass any bill, what would it be and why?
Johnson: Narrowing it down to one is tough, but a bill related to equal rights would be on the list. There should be no continued attempts to rob any human being of their rights. To make my point, I ask, can you tell me of one medical right of a man that is not given to him? We have the right to make our own decisions about our medical care, just because we may not like the decision someone makes, that does not mean we shall take away their right to make it. Yet, women are routinely subjected to having their rights challenged.
Kessler: If I could pass any bill, it would focus on supporting small businesses and promoting economic growth in our community. It would invest in workforce development programs to ensure that local businesses have the skilled labor they need to thrive. Additionally, it would include provisions to support education and training opportunities, particularly in industries crucial to South Wichita, like aviation and agriculture. By empowering small businesses and fostering a strong workforce, we can build a more prosperous and resilient community.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
How would you have voted on the following items? You can vote yes, no or pass.
The Aug. 2, 2022, constitutional amendment on abortion
Voting no meant the state constitution would continue to protect the right to abortion. Voting yes would have meant it can be regulated or banned.
Johnson: Johnson didn’t answer this question.
Kessler: Yes. I voted yes to give the people the opportunity to decide for themselves whether they believe this is a constitutional right.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
Flat tax on income
A flat tax on income was packaged with property tax cuts and eliminating Social Security income tax. Democrats and Republicans agreed on other parts of the plan, but were at odds over a flat tax. A single rate on income didn’t pass this year .
Johnson: No.
Kessler: Yes. One of the key advantages of a flat tax rate is its simplicity: everyone pays taxes at the same rate. In contrast, our current progressive tax system is complex, costing taxpayers both time and money to navigate, as it requires different tax calculations for each individual. Unlike progressive and regressive tax systems, a flat tax ensures that all taxpayers are charged the same rate, eliminating the disparities between different groups.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
Banning transgender women from women’s sports
Banning transgender women from women’s sports. Voting yes would mean athletes have to compete as the gender they’re assigned at birth. This bill was vetoed but the veto was overridden in 2022.
Johnson: I will be visiting with District 96 constituents about this during this election cycle.
Kessler: Yes. The American College of Sports Medicine says, “biological sex is a determinant of athletic performance: adult males are faster, stronger, more powerful than females because of fundamental sex differences in anatomy and physiology dictated by sex chromosomes.” That’s a short answer to a complex question.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
Banning gender-affirming care for trans youth
Voting yes means children under 18 can’t get puberty blockers, hormone treatment, and in rare cases, gender-reassignment surgery. This bill narrowly failed this year and is expected to come up again in 2025.
Johnson: I will need to research this in more detail. I am by no means well versed in this issue. If this comes up I would want to talk with these families and understand more clearly about this issue and why it is important to vote either way.
Kessler: Yes. Children struggling with gender dysphoria should have access to standard, evidence-based psychological treatment to help manage their distress and any related conditions like anxiety or depression. I believe the best way to support these children is not through harmful, experimental, unnecessary and often irreversible procedures, but by providing compassionate and appropriate care that prioritizes their long-term well-being.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
Chiefs and Royals stadium-financing bill
This bill didn’t spend any taxpayer money to attract the teams, but it did set aside future sales tax dollars from future stadium districts to pay off bonds. This law passed by a comfortable margin , and voting yes opens the door to the Chiefs and Royals in Kansas.
Johnson: Yes.
Kessler: Yes. STAR bonds, or sales tax and revenue bonds, fund the development of tourist attractions by using the sales taxes collected at those sites to pay off the construction debt. In the case of stadiums, this means that sales taxes on food, tickets or merchandise in that area cover most of the debt, rather than relying on taxpayer dollars from the state’s general fund. For me, supporting this was an easy decision.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
APEX (Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion)
This bill had billions in tax incentives to bring a Panasonic battery plant to De Soto, Kansas. As it was being passed , lawmakers were not told which company would be coming, but were told the bill is necessary to attract large businesses. Voting yes approved a massive tax incentive plan for companies.
Johnson: I do not have an objection to providing some tax incentives to attract large businesses to our state. Every state is doing the same thing so we have to be competitive. However, I do believe our workforce of skilled labor is also a selling point. We do not have to trap ourselves into never taxing these companies.
Kessler: Yes. The Attracting Powerful Economic Expansion (APEX) Act is a bipartisan bill that strengthens Kansas’ ability to compete for major national and global development projects. It opens the door to transformative economic opportunities, creating thousands of new jobs, injecting billions into the economy, and offering more opportunities for Kansas families. This bill could secure the largest private sector investment in state history, with a current project promising 4,000 jobs and $4 billion in business investment.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
Mail ballot grace period
Currently, any mail ballot in Kansas can arrive three days after Election Day and still be counted if it was postmarked on or before Election Day. Voting yes would eliminate that grace period .
Johnson: No. Every vote needs to be counted if the voter has put forth a good faith effort to return the ballot on time, and the grace period accounts for that.
Kessler: In hindsight, it became clear that the 2017 Kansas Legislature’s decision to create a three-day grace period for accepting mail-in ballots postmarked before polls closed was a mistake, despite the near-unanimous vote. This law eroded public confidence in mail-in voting by causing daily changes in vote totals. While one goal was to ensure processing of military ballots, that issue had already been addressed with electronic ballot transfers. We were assured that postmarks or barcodes on returned ballots could verify they were sent before polls closed, but unfortunately, this has proven unreliable in most cases.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
A bill loosening child care regulations
It would expand allowed child-to-staff ratios and allow teenagers to work at these facilities. Voting yes approves the loosened restrictions. Learn more about this bill here .
Johnson: To just do away with safeguards to help any business expand is not an answer. If we could take a little time to explore this issue and get much needed feedback from child care facilities, we could potentially ease some of the restrictions. But, I am not about to ease up procedures that keep children safe. The top priority is the safety of our children. Our families do need help with the huge cost and difficulty in finding quality child care, but never at the cost of safety.
Kessler: Yes. This bill sets new child care licensing requirements regarding facility capacity and staff-to-child ratios. It eliminates certain licensing fees and training requirements, allows day care providers to apply for temporary waivers of specific statutory rules, and authorizes the development of pilot programs to expand child care availability and capacity. Additionally, it transfers some child care programs to the Kansas Office of Early Childhood and divides licensing responsibilities between the secretary of health and environment and the executive director of early childhood.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
The Parents’ Bill of Rights
This bill lets parents pull their kids out of classes if they are being taught objectionable material. Republicans say it is up to parents to determine what their children should be learning. Democrats say this bill addresses a problem that doesn’t exist.
Johnson: I would not be inclined to pass this bill. There are options for parents that may not agree with some curriculum, such as having conversations with their children about the curriculum and their family’s belief on the subject. Parents currently have the option to withhold their child from certain lessons, too.
Kessler: Yes. This bill grants parents the right to make decisions about their child’s upbringing, education, care and mental health. It also mandates that school districts establish policies to safeguard these parental rights.
Trotter: Trotter didn’t respond to The Beacon’s questionnaire.
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