Mike McCorkle is hoping to take down the speaker of the House in the 2024 election. Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, has dominated his elections in the past few years.
Republicans have won this seat in 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 100?
Republican Dan Hawkins (Incumbent)
Hawkins is the speaker of the House. He sets the legislative agenda for the Kansas House and has a massive influence in what bills are passed.
Hawkins has his own employee benefits insurance agency, Hawkins Group Inc.
He served in the Kansas Army National Guard for 12 years and was on the board of directors of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Kansas for six years. He has two daughters and a grandson.
He is endorsed by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, NFIB-Kansas, the Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Family Voice, Kansans for Life and the Kansas Rifle Association.
His campaign website is here.
Democrat Mike McCorkle
McCorkle ran against Hawkins in 2022 and lost by 19 percentage points. He is a Desert Storm veteran who lived abroad for over two decades until returning home to Wichita in 2019. McCorkle was awarded a Bronze Star for his military service.
He is on the Wichita Veterans Memorial Park board. McCorkle is also an officer in the Sedgwick County Grassroots Democrats, co-founder of WestSide Dems and co-chair of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party Precinct Committee Person Coalition Committee.
“I got involved in our local democracy because I believe we should all be more involved,” he said.
He 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.
His campaign website is here.
Hawkins didn’t respond to the questionnaire. Quotes are pulled from press releases, his campaign website, news articles and voting history.
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.
Hawkins: Hawkins didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
McCorkle: I admire Gov. Kelly and have deep respect for President Joe Biden. I would try to emulate their good service.
If you could pass any bill, what would it be and why?
Hawkins: Hawkins shapes GOP legislative priorities, but he also pushed for Bane’s law, which increased criminal penalties for hurting or killing police dogs.
McCorkle: The first bill I would like to pass would be a law allowing voter ballot initiatives. Kansans do not currently have this option, and we should.
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.
Hawkins: Hawkins is endorsed by anti-abortion group Kansans for Life.
McCorkle: No.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. It’s not the single-rate (tax cut) that’s the problem; it’s Gov. Kelly’s spending … Our tax plan isn’t sustainable on their massive overspending in her budget proposal. Her pricey plans to expand government add up to a 13.5% increase over last year.
McCorkle: No.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. The Fairness in Women’s Sports act protects the rights of female athletes in the state by requiring that female student athletic teams only include members who are biologically female. House Republicans are united in our commitment to defending the intention of Title IX. We proudly stand with the female athletes across Kansas in their pursuit of athletic awards, opportunities and scholarships and believe they deserve every chance at success afforded to their male counterparts, Hawkins said in a joint statement from House leadership.
McCorkle: Pass.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. As we watch other states, nations and organizations reverse course on these experimental procedures on children, Laura Kelly will most surely find herself on the wrong side of history with her reckless veto of this common-sense protection for Kansas minors.
McCorkle: Pass.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. The potential to establish a home for the Chiefs family here on the Kansas side of the state line is an opportunity that deserves a thorough conversation. We have reached out to the Chiefs organization and asked them to weigh in on the possibility of using Kansas’ unique STAR bond funding tool and explore what that collaboration could hold. We’re excited that the Chiefs are open to this conversation and look forward to seeing what mutually beneficial opportunities might lie ahead for both the people of Kansas and the Chiefs franchise, Hawkins said in a joint statement with the Senate president.
McCorkle: Yes.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. Hawkins didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the law said it will bring jobs to Kansas and grow the economy.
McCorkle: Pass.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. Kansans demand secure elections. With the Postal Service no longer postmarking most mail, it is impossible to know if a late arriving ballot was mailed by Election Day. Gov. Kelly’s veto continues to allow potentially illegal ballots to be counted. House Republicans will continue to work to close this loophole and secure elections.
McCorkle: No.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. Hawkins didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who supported the bill said stripping away burdensome regulations will let businesses grow.
McCorkle: Pass.
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.
Hawkins: Yes. There is nothing that is more the business of parents than the well-being of their children and that includes what they are being taught in school … It’s really a shame this bill is even necessary but across the country school districts are declining to provide this information when requested.
McCorkle: Pass.
