Kansas House District 121 covers a wide chunk of western Johnson County, south of K-10 and west of K-7, representing parts De Soto, Gardner and Olathe. See a district map to see its boundaries.
This is an open seat after Rep. John Resman died last session. His appointed GOP replacement, Mike Storm, lost to Thomas Palenske in the Republican primary in August. Competing against Palenske is Democrat Kelsey Stock.
Learn more about the candidates, who are listed in alphabetical order.
Thomas Palenske (Republican)
Thomas Palenske, a retired Air Force brigadier general, lists no prior elected office and has been involved with the Conference of States in Overland Park. He defeated Mike Storm in the Republican primary in August. He has owned several businesses, according to his campaign bio, including an HTeaO franchise in Raymore, Missouri, and a defense consulting firm. Palenske wants state education money to follow students to public, private or home schools. He backs limits on taxable home valuation growth and thinks voters should be able to vote on large local property tax increases.
Kelsey Stock (Democratic)
Kelsey Stock founded Deaf Connections, a nonprofit serving the deaf community, and sits on the Kansas School for the Deaf Site Council. A lifelong Olathe resident with a master’s in social work, Stock works in disability advocacy and is a foster-turned-adoptive mother whose two other children are deaf. Stock opposes school vouchers, wants to fully fund special education and raise teacher pay. She would give counties a share of state sales tax revenue to ease local tax burdens.
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