Kansas' seventeenth state house district is represented by Republican Representative Tom Cox.

Kansas state representatives represent an average of 22,825 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 21,507 residents.

About the chamber

Members of the Kansas House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Kansas legislators assume office the second Monday of January after their election.

Qualifications

Section 4 of Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution states, "During the time that any person is a candidate for nomination or election to the legislature and during the term of each legislator, such candidate or legislator shall be and remain a qualified elector who resides in his or her district."

Salaries

Pension

As of 2011, when pensions are calculated for Kansas legislators, their normal annual salary is inflated by nearly $78,000. This is composed of $32,982, which comes from multiplying their daily salary by 372 (the number of days they would work if in session every day and if every month had 31 days), $45,756 from adding in their daily per diem (also based on 372 days) and $7,083 from expense payments. According to former state Senator Steve Morris, this is intended as compensation because of low legislative salaries which are seen as difficult to raise.

Vacancies

The Governor is responsible for filling all vacancies in the house.

The political party committee that last held the vacant seat must call for a convention within 21 days of the vacancy. The convention is designed to select the Governor's appointee and involves all the committeemen and committeewomen that represent the vacant house district.

The committeemen and committeewomen present for voting must approve a replacement on a simple majority vote. Once the vote has been conducted, the party committee must send the paperwork certifying the selection to the Governor within 24 hours or the next business day. The Governor has seven days after receiving the paperwork to act on the appointment.

Elections

2020

Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 4, 2020. The filing deadline is June 1, 2020.

2018

2016

Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives were held in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 1, 2016.

Tom Cox defeated Helen Stoll in the Kansas House of Representatives District 17 general election.

Kansas House of Representatives, District 17 General Election, 2016

Helen Stoll ran unopposed in the Kansas House of Representatives District 17 Democratic primary.
Tom Cox defeated incumbent Brett Hildabrand in the Kansas House of Representatives District 17 Republican primary.

Kansas House of Representatives, District 17 Republican Primary, 2016

Primary election

In the primary elections held on August 2, 2016, six incumbents were defeated in the state Senate, while nine incumbents were defeated in the state House. Outside of the one incumbent Democrat who was defeated in the House, moderates defeated 14 conservative Republican incumbents in the primary. Before the 2016 primary, moderate Republicans had been losing ground in the state legislature since the 2010 election of Gov. Sam Brownback (R), shifting from a more moderate Republican-controlled state legislature to a more conservative one after the 2012 elections. Eighteen Republican incumbents were defeated in the conservative wave in 2012. Brett Hildabrand was one of 14 Republican incumbents who were defeated in the 2016 primary.

2014

Elections for the Kansas House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 2, 2014. Larry Meeker was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Incumbent Brett Hildabrand was unopposed in the Republican primary. Hildabrand defeated Meeker and Michael Kerner (L) in the general election.

Kansas House of Representatives District 17, General Election, 2014

2012

Elections for the office of Kansas House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 7, 2012, and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 11, 2012. Brett Hildabrand defeated Michael Kerner (L) and Larry Meeker (D/I) in the general election. Hildabrand defeated Jason Leib in the Republican primary.

Kansas House of Representatives, District 17, General Election, 2012

Kansas House of Representatives, District 17 Republican Primary, 2012

Campaign contributions

From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Kansas House of Representatives District 17 raised a total of $471,193. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $15,200 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.

Campaign contributions, Kansas House of Representatives District 17