Susan Estes, a Wichita Republican, is trying to keep her House seat from a retired attorney. Republicans have won the seat in the last five elections.
Election Day is Nov. 5. Oct. 15 is the last day to register to vote. And 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 87?
Republican Susan Estes (incumbent)
Estes first took office in 2021. She’s the vice chair of the House Committee on Education and serves on the K-12 Budget and Appropriations committees.
She’s 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.
Democrat Mike Snider
Snider is a retired attorney.
He graduated from Washburn University with chemistry and juris doctor degrees. He was a partner at the Snider & Seiwert law firm from 1993 to 2024. He went to law school after “experiencing a flawed health care system as a respiratory therapy technician during my college years.”
“Like many people, his grown-up children moved away from Kansas to states they felt were more welcoming and had greater opportunity,” according to his campaign website. “For Kansas to thrive in the long term, Mike wants to create a community that is welcoming, full of opportunity, and represented by a state government that listens to its residents.”
He is endorsed by the Kansas branch of the AFL-CIO, the Kansas National Education Association and Game On for Kansas Schools.
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.
Estes: Estes didn’t respond to the questionnaire.
Snider: I would hope to emulate Sharice Davids. Her ability to connect, hone in on issues and listen while ensuring legislation is passed that supports all Kansans.
If you could pass any bill, what would it be and why?
Estes: Estes sponsored the Born Alive Infants Protection Act. This law requires doctors to give medical care to babies delivered alive after an abortion. Supporters pushed for this law because they believe medical providers leave children to die if they survive an abortion. It is a felony for doctors to not provide care to these infants.
She’s also proposed income tax cuts for members of the armed forces.
Snider: Medicaid expansion. The American Heart Association supports expanding Medicaid. This would address many voters’ concerns regarding access to health care and the mental health crisis in our district. Missouri, Oklahoma, Colorado and Nebraska legislatures have passed Medicaid expansion while our Kansas legislative leadership refuses to allow it to come to a vote regardless of the show of support across the state. Kansas is missing out on millions of federal tax dollars that now goes to other states. I favor a legislative vote on Medicaid expansion as we must take care of Kansans first.
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.
Estes: Estes is endorsed by anti-abortion group Kansans for Life.
Snider: The Kansas Legislature should mind its own business and follow the Kansas Constitution. Bodily autonomy and reproductive health care choices are protected by our Kansas Constitution, and those choices are best left to the patient in consultation with their health care provider.
We do not need Kansas legislators continuing to pass laws that our Kansas courts have decided are unconstitutional.
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.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the tax package said Kansans needed tax relief — especially with billions in state surplus.
Snider: No. I would have voted no on a flat tax. To those whom much has been given, much is required.
Banning transgender women from women’s sports
Voting yes would mean athletes have to play the sport based on their gender assigned at birth. This bill was vetoed but the veto was overridden in 2022.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who supported the law said men have an advantage over women and using the gender at birth is the fairest system. Estes voted for multiple versions of this bill.
Snider: No. I would have voted to sustain the governor’s veto.
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.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who supported the bill said children may not understand the true consequences of this procedure.
Snider: No. I would have voted no. Families need to discuss these matters with health care providers and make their own decisions.
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.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voting guide, but legislators who supported the law said bringing a professional sports team to Kansas is a major economic development project that would pay for itself.
Snider: No. I would have reviewed the small print and would want to ensure that taxpayers money was protected.
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.
Estes: No. Estes didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who opposed the law wanted to see more transparency and were hesitant to support massive tax cuts to one business.
Snider: I would have insisted on more details to determine an appropriate risk-vs.-benefit analysis that could be utilized by any community looking to attract large businesses.
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.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voter guide, but legislators who supported the bill said it will restore faith in elections. Without the grace period, almost all ballots would be counted by election night.
Snider: People require grace because life happens. Our post office requires
grace as well.
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.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voting guide, but lawmakers who supported the bill said stripping away burdensome regulations will let businesses grow.
Snider: I would vote no and then ask the question of why there is an increased need for people in this important work and really the minimum wage deficits.
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.
Estes: Yes. Estes didn’t respond to the voter guide, but lawmakers who support the bill said parents should know if a school’s curriculum was inappropriate.
Snider: There is a process in place to build appropriate curriculum and parents already have choices regarding education. Legislation is not needed to further complicate the education system.
