Former Mission Mayor Laura McConwell has become the third candidate to enter the race to replace Sen. Barbara Bollier in the Kansas statehouse.
McConwell on Thursday filed as a Republican for the Senate District 7 seat. Bollier, who has been in the seat since 2017, is running for the U.S. Senate, leaving the position up for grabs in 2020. The district includes Fairway, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Westwood, Westwood Hills and parts of Leawood and Overland Park.
“Our district needs a person who represents all those in the district, works well with others, respects our diverse communities, engages with residents and presses for results,” McConwell said. “I am that person.”
An attorney by trade, McConwell served as mayor of Mission for 12 years, and remained active in civic affairs since her departure from that position in 2014. In recent years, she has served as secretary of the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, a member of Johnson County Park and Recreation Foundation board, and president of the Johnson County Bar Association.
In her announcement, McConwell said her campaign would focus on four priority issues:
- Education, from early childhood, to K-12, higher ed and vocational training
- Local control for Johnson County and municipal governments
- Improving health and mental health access for seniors and low-income residents
- A healthy business environment that provides jobs and supports the economy.
McConwell, who lives in Mission with her husband Jeff, is a graduate of Shawnee Mission schools and Brown University. Former State Sen. Terrie Huntington is serving as treasurer on McConwell’s campaign.
Rep. Stephanie Clayton and former Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Ethan Corson filed for the seat this fall, setting up a primary contest for their party’s nomination.
