Mark Hermes is running as a Republican for Kansas House of Representatives District 19 in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat Stephanie Sawyer Clayton.
Hermes, certified for the ballot according to BallotReady election data, has worked as a legislative counsel since 2014 and previously served as a Johnson County Republican Party precinct chairperson. His platform centers on cutting taxes, strengthening law enforcement and reforming family law in Kansas.
The policy positions below are drawn from Hermes' responses on his campaign website and through BallotReady. They reflect the candidate's own statements.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Office sought: Kansas House of Representatives, District 19
- Education: Bachelor's degree in business, Kansas State University (1985), according to BallotReady profile data; MBA, University of Kansas (2000), according to BallotReady profile data; integrated communications, University of Kansas William Allen White School of Journalism, according to his campaign website; entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship, Wichita State University School of Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship, according to his campaign website; Andale High School, according to BallotReady profile data
- Personal: Hermes said he is a single father. He said he studied internationally in Mexico, Italy and France and has pilot training.
Experience and public service
- Legislative counsel (2014–present), according to BallotReady profile data
- Precinct chairperson, Johnson County Republican Party, Precinct 0201 (2022–2026), according to his campaign website
- Entrepreneur (2004–2018), according to BallotReady profile data
- Stock trader (1998–2004), according to BallotReady profile data
- Technical writer and corporate trainer, Sprint Telecommunications (1989–1998), according to BallotReady profile data
- Software development manager (1988), according to BallotReady profile data
On the issues
Taxes and budget: Hermes said he opposes new taxes and wants to cut sales and use taxes on utilities, housing, medicine and gas. He said he supports lowering property taxes for retired homeowners and reducing government waste. He also called for revising Kansas trust and estate laws, citing Missouri trust laws as a model.
Criminal justice and public safety: Hermes said he wants to aggressively combat fentanyl-related criminal activity and child trafficking in Kansas. He said he supports training new law enforcement officers for careers in Kansas and the U.S. military.
Family and parental rights: Hermes said he supports enforcement of family law and parental rights legislation. He said he wants to reduce father or mother absence in Kansas families. He said he backs grandparent family custody legislation that would allow teenage children to petition courts for improved family or relative residential care.
Government reform: Hermes said he supports term limits, electing judges and drug testing family court judges. He said he opposes lowering the voting age to 16.
Immigration: Hermes said he opposes sanctuary designations for undocumented adults at the district, city, county and state levels. He said he supports legal constitutional immigration.
The general election is Nov. 3, 2026. Kansas House District 19 voters can find polling and ballot information through the Johnson County Election Office.
