Sen. Mary Ware, a Wichita Democrat, is hoping to keep her Kansas Senate seat blue. Keenen Smith is trying to change that. 

Republicans have won this seat three times in the past 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 Senate District 25?

Republican Keenen Smith 

Smith is the 4th Congressional District chairman of the Kansas Young Republicans. He majored in political science at Jackson State University and is the founding president of the Revitalize Broadway Partnership — a group focused on growing business in Wichita. 

He spent time in the military and “champions the Declaration of Independence, upholds the Constitution and stands firmly for pro-gun rights, pro-liberty ideals, property rights, a free market, fiscal responsibility and limited government.” 

He is endorsed by Kansas Family Voice and the Kansas Rifle Association. 

His campaign website is here. 

Democrat Mary Ware (Incumbent) 

Ware has been in the Kansas Senate since 2019. The lifelong Wichitan has a varied background in farming, business management, massage therapy, social justice work, teaching and small-business ownership.  

She’s the ranking minority member of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the Commerce Committee. 

“With the addition of having grown up in poverty, I have a unique background for considering how a bill might affect each of my Kansas neighbors,” Ware said. “Working across the aisle is critical to creating true solutions to our problems, not just bandaids, which are almost always more expensive.” 

She is endorsed by the Kansas branch of the AFL-CIO, Cannabis Justice Coalition-Kansas, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the Kansas National Education Association, Game On for Kansas Schools and Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes. 

Her campaign website is here. 

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.

Smith: Tim Scott and Westley Hunt.

Ware: I have admired Laura Kelly for years. While she’s a tough negotiator for Kansans’ interests, she can work with virtually anyone, regardless of their party or beliefs. I don’t know anyone who keeps the realities of our state’s budget in balance with the needs of all Kansans better than Gov. Kelly.

If you could pass any bill, what would it be and why? 

Smith: Automatic, retroactive expungement of past marijuana convictions. Roughly 70 million to 100 million people are living in the United States with a criminal record, which can carry lasting effects and hinder employment, housing and education opportunities. This is especially true for Black people, who are already labeled as disadvantaged by the racial wealth gap. Automatic record-clearing measures are a streamlined process to remove arrests or convictions from a criminal record without the onerous fees and legal costs required for expungement in other jurisdictions. Clearance of a record should only provide people of Kansas the opportunity to eliminate barriers to employment, education and housing opportunities.

Ware: Medicaid expansion would provide lifesaving health care for 150,000 Kansans, protect our hospitals from closure, would expand our much needed base of medical providers and would be a job creator. Besides that, there would be no additional cost for all these benefits. We are already paying for it through our federal taxes. Kansans have already sent $7 billion to benefit folks in the other states who have already expanded Medicaid. Medicaid expansion is a health issue, an economic development issue as well as an issue of basic ethics.  

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. 

Smith: His campaign website said “protecting life in Kansas” as a key issue. 

Ware: No. Our Kansas Constitution is clear that we all have a right to bodily autonomy. Kansas voters made it clear two years ago that they agree. In these deeply personal decisions there is no room for legislators to get in between a woman and her doctor and her faith. 

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.

Smith: No. 

Ware: No. While it sounds fair to have everyone pay the same percentage in income tax, the reality is that it puts the biggest weight on the shoulders of those who can afford it least. My preference is lowering sales taxes, helping us all, but helping our lowest income Kansans most.

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. 

Smith: Yes. 

Ware: No. This is not a matter of fairness for our girls, rather, an attack on yet another disenfranchised group. The fact is that in our entire state in 2023 we only had five trans girls in competitive sports and only one in 2024 — another overreaction to a problem that does not exist.

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. 

Smith: Yes. 

Ware: No. Rather than crafting thoughtful guidelines, this bill completely blocked the possibility for getting what can be lifesaving health care — putting even more stress on young trans teens who are already four times more likely to commit suicide. Every major medical association and leading world health authority supports this health care for transgender youth.

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. 

Smith: Yes. 

Ware: Yes. 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. Historically, most stadiums are a very bad deal, so I was wary at first. But after extensive research, it’s clear that the unique STAR bond system that will be used leaves all the risk with the big investors and not with the Kansas taxpayers. 

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. 

Smith: No. 

Ware: Yes. Powerful economic expansion is a great idea by bringing strong companies making gargantuan investments plus unprecedented job creation. With so many moving parts involved, these large deals must be held close to the vest until they solidify.  Leadership of both parties were advised of the details, however. 

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. 

Smith: Yes.

Ware: No. With demonstrated slowed mail delivery times, we must continue with the three-day grace period. Our secretary of state confirms that Kansas does not have a voter fraud problem. So, government should be making it easier for us to make our voice heard, not harder.

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. 

Smith: No.

Ware: No. More quality child care is a need. The key word is “quality.” The proposed bill would have put Kansas kids in peril without helping much with our shortage of quality child care options for our Kansas families.

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. 

Smith: Yes.

Ware: No.