Four candidates vying for two seats representing parts of Olathe, Overland Park and Spring Hill in southwestern Johnson County laid out their priorities in a live forum hosted by the Johnson County Post on Oct. 7.
The Post is hosting seven nights of forums for Kansas Statehouse and local races ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The two districts covered in this forum were:
- House District 15, covering parts of Olathe, Olathe Township and Spring Hill Township, generally from Clare ROad to Brougham Drive, and from Harold Street to 183rd Street.
- House District 26, covering parts of Olathe, Overland Park, Spring Hill, Aubry Township, Olathe Township, Oxford Township and Spring Hill Township in Johnson County, and parts of Spring Hill in Miami County, generally from U.S. Highway 169 to Quivira Road, and from 151st Street to 215th Street.
Who is running?
House District 15
- Republican incumbent Lauren Bohi, of Olathe
- Democrat Allison Hougland, of Olathe
House District 26
- Democrat Laura Johnson, of Olathe
- Republican incumbent Chip VanHouden, of Spring Hill
How to watch the Post’s forum
The Post livestreamed the forum on our Facebook and Youtube pages, and a recording of it is embedded below.
Following the embedded video are the questions each candidate answered during the forum.
Timestamps are included in bold at the end of each question to help you navigate through the forum video if you’d like to jump around.
Questions and timestamps
1. Opening statements [1:22]
2. Priorities in Topeka: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing your district, and how would you address it? [5:53]
3. Property taxes: It’s the thing we hear about most from readers. Speak to a voter who might have seen their property tax bill go up by hundreds of dollars this year, or the property owner who is potentially facing the possibility of being priced out of their home. If your preferred policy or policies had been made law, what can you tell that voter that your approach and your party’s approach is going to help them next year? [10:48]
4. Property taxes vs. fully funding schools: This question was emailed right before the forum. This person asks: There’s a delicate balance between property taxes and fully funded schools. How do you plan to approach this? [16:21]
5. Disagreeing with your party: This is a question from the audience. This person asks: When the wishes of your constituents conflict with the leadership of your party, who do you believe you ultimately owe your vote to? Is there an issue that your party finds important that you disagree with your party on? [24:21]
6. Medicaid expansion: A question from the audience. This person from the audience asks: Do you believe in expanding Medicaid? Kansas is one of only a few states that has not under the Affordable Care Act. Of course, the landscape is changing pretty dramatically; the 2025 federal budget law, adults covered through Medicaid expansion must now meet certain work requirements, so that could change your stance. [29:26]
7. Vaccine requirements in schools: A reader asks: Do you support the current vaccine requirements in Kansas schools? Where do you stand on vaccines? [35:26]
8. Gerrymandering and redistricting: We had several questions from the audience asking about redistricting. We have a couple of lawmakers up here who did maybe have a chance to weigh in on the petition that would have prompted the special session last year that would have maybe gone in to create new districts mid-decade. It may be a moot point now, but if you’re a lawmaker that had a chance to vote for it, explain your vote and where do you stand now as we’re heading towards the mid-terms on redistricting and redrawing Kansas’ congressional lines before the next census. [41:05]
9. K-12 cellphone ban bill: Another question from the audience. Do you believe the K-12 cellphone ban bill was a good idea? [45:38]
10. Kansas budget: Another question from the audience. This questioner asks: The Kansas budget is out of balance. How do you fix it? [48:58]
11. Abortion: A couple of more questions from the audience. This person asks: If a bill comes to the floor that restricts abortion access” in our state, how would you vote? Put another way, adding abortion regulations might come up. I’ll acknowledge the 2022 Value Them Both vote enshrines that right in the Kansas Constitution but there have been some moves since then to pass particular laws. So how would you vote on that type of bill if it comes up? [53:11]
12. Why voters should pick you: What distinguishes you from your opponent? Why are you best suited to represent this House District? [57:41]
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