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Elected Officials

Who are your elected officials? Here is information about those representing citizens of Barton County and the state of Kansas.

Local Elected Representatives

 

State of Kansas

The state of Kansas has three components to its elected government: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.

Legislative Branch

The Kansas Legislature consists of a 125-member House of Representatives elected for two-year terms and a 40-member Senate elected for four-year terms. The legislature is responsible for making and maintaining laws. Find out who your state legislators are and how to contact them by entering your address. Read about recent bills in the Kansas legislature at OpenStates.org.

The Legislature convenes on the second Monday in January for an annual session and generally adjourns in early May.  When the legislature is in session, you may listen to the daily general session online.

Executive Branch

The executive branch includes the Governor and five other elected officers including the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, State Treasurer, and Insurance Commissioner.

The executive branch upholds and administers the laws enacted by the legislature. Find your elected executive officials and contact information on this government site.

Judicial Branch

There are four levels of courts in Kansas:

  • At the local level are the municipal (city) courts which handle alleged violations of city ordinances committed within the city limits.
  • District courts are the trial courts of Kansas, with general original jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases. They are located in each county. District court judges are listed by judicial district and county.
  • The Kansas Court of Appeals is an intermediate appellate court, hearing appeals from the district courts and State Corporation Commission. The Court usually sits in a panel of three. Court of Appeals judges are listed with biographies.
  • The Kansas Supreme Court is the state’s highest court and hears both appeals and original cases. See biographies of state justices.

United States of America

Senators: Two Kansans are elected to serve in the United States Senate. They represent the entire state and serve six-year terms. They have offices located around the state. These offices provide a reliable way of contacting your senator.

Representatives: Four Kansans are elected to serve in the United States House of Representatives. They each represent a separate region of the state, called a district. Representatives serve two-year terms. Each has a district office, which is a reliable way of contacting your representative.

GovTrack is a website providing free research, tracking, and analytics on the daily activities of the United States Congress. Use GovTrack to find information about your elected representatives including their names and how to contact them.

Another alternative is Mega Vote where you can sign up to receive reports of your lawmakers’ votes via email.