Kansas House District 78 covers a portion of Olathe in south-central Johnson County. See a district map to see its boundaries.
Republican incumbent Rep. Robyn Essex is running for reelection against Democrat Tim Lundberg.
Learn more about the candidates, who are listed in alphabetical order.
Robyn Essex (Republican, incumbent)
Robyn Essex is seeking a third term in District 78. She is deputy majority whip and vice chair of the House Transportation Committee. She has also been a member of the Olathe City Council since 2022. A MidAmerica Nazarene University graduate, Essex has worked as an immigration and passport caseworker for U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran. She backed a House plan capping property tax revenue growth at 3% with a voter protest petition but was more critical than her Republican colleagues of a proposed valuation cap. She supported incentives for data centers after pushing for guardrails.
Tim Lundberg (Democratic)
Tim Lundberg served as a party precinct leader from 2022 to 2024. Now retired, Lundberg spent 22 years as an air traffic controller and worked for the Overland Park Police Department as a 911 dispatcher, motorist assist officer and police fleet supervisor. He won the Democratic Party primary in August. Lundberg calls the data center sales tax break excessive. In response to rising property taxes, he wants to raise the homestead exemption and cut the state mill levy instead of capping local revenues. He says he would fully fund special education and expand Medicaid.
Thanks for reading! If you value having an independent news outlet keeping tabs on local government, schools and taxes, we're asking you to contribute to our Education Reporting Fund.
