Who is running for Kansas House, District 38 in 2026?

Retired U.S. Army medical service officer; Democratic nominee, Kansas House District 38

Richard Paz is the Democratic candidate for Kansas House District 38 and faces Republican incumbent Timothy H. Johnson on Nov. 3, 2026¹. KCUR's 2024 voter guide described him as a retired Army officer with a 30-year military career in medical planning and health care reform who had never held elected office; he ran for this seat in 2024².

No public position found on: Safety net programs, Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Guns, Immigration, Energy and climate, School choice, Curriculum and books, Housing and growth, Policing and crime, Election rules, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Gender care for minors, Redistricting, Term limits, Campaign finance, Electoral College, Ranked-choice voting, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Transgender athletes, DEI programs, Religion in schools, China policy.

Kansas state representative (District 38, Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties); criminal justice and education

Timothy H. Johnson, a Republican, has represented Kansas House District 38 since 2021 and lists criminal justice and education as his occupation¹. His site says he has thirty-one years of experience in the criminal justice system³. He faces Democrat Richard Paz on Nov. 3, 2026².

Where they stand 16 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2238 (2023), the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, which limits girls' and women's school teams to students who are biologically female (House 82 to 40 on 2023-02-23), and again on the veto override (84 to 40). (2023-02-23) source
• Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 63 (2025), the Help Not Harm Act, which bars puberty blockers, hormones and surgery for minors for gender transition (House 83 to 35 on final action and 85 to 34 on the veto override). (2025-02-18) source
• Ranked-choice votingNo, ban ranked-choice voting in all electionsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 6 (2025), which bans ranked-choice voting in Kansas elections (House 86 to 37). (2025-03-13) source
• Campaign financeRaise or remove contribution limits and protect donors' privacymedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2054 (2025), which raises campaign contribution limits and removes party-to-candidate limits in general elections, on final action (House 77 to 46) and on the conference report (72 to 52). (2025-03-27) source
• Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 209 (2023) and again on SB 4 (2025), which require advance mail ballots to arrive by 7 p.m. on election day (House 76 to 48 in 2023; 80 to 39 and 84 to 41 in 2025). The same change under two bill numbers counts once. (2025-03-25) source
  • Voted yes on the SAVE Kansas Act, HB 2437 (2026), which adds voter roll checks and limits websites that handle registration applications (House 85 to 39; conference report 80 to 43; veto override 84 to 39). (2026-04-09) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2503 (2026), which repeals the mail ballot election act (House 72 to 50). (2026-02-19) source
• DEI programsKeep support open to all, but end race or sex preferences and required statementsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the HB 2105 (2024) conference report, which bars postsecondary schools from requiring diversity statements or pledges in admissions, hiring and promotion (House 81 to 40). (2024-04-05) source
• GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Is a named sponsor of HCR 5006 (2025), a constitutional amendment making the right to bear arms a fundamental right, including ammunition and accessories, with strict scrutiny for limits. (2025) source
• Energy and climateMaximize oil and gas; climate rules hurt the economymedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2783 (2024), which bars state and local limits on selling or using vehicles based on their energy source (House 89 to 30), and yes on SCR 1603 (2023), a resolution urging energy independence policies (House 87 to 37). (2024) source
• School choiceYes, but focused on low-income and special-needs studentsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on the SB 83 (2023) conference report, which widens student eligibility and the tax credit under the low-income student scholarship program (House 65 to 58). (2023) source
• Policing and crimeMore police, with a focus on repeat offendersmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His site says that in the 2026 session he sponsored and passed legislation that "targets career criminals and child abusers," and that "Prosecutors and law officers know that targeting repeat and violent offenders is the best way to create safer communities." (2026) source
  • Is a named sponsor of HB 2444 (2026), which limits jail credit for repeat felony offenders, sets special sentencing rules for felonies committed on probation or parole, and requires secured minimum bonds, and sets a presumption that certain noncitizens are a flight risk; the bill was signed April 6, 2026. He voted yes on final action (House 88 to 36) and on the motion to concur (85 to 37). (2026-03-23) source
• ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadylow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on SCR 1602 (2025), a non-binding resolution urging the governor to cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement (House 82 to 35). (2025-03-20) source
• Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downlow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 418 (2026), the By-right Housing Development Act, which allows townhouses, accessory dwelling units and single-family homes that meet existing zoning (House 97 to 27). (2026-03-18) source
• Drug pricesFocus on competition, generics, and price transparency instead of price settinglow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on the SB 20 (2026) conference report, the pharmacy benefit manager act (House 104 to 17). (2026-03-23) source
• China policyCompete, but limit only sensitive tech, military-linked firms and land near baseslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes both times on SB 9 (2025), which limits foreign-adversary interests in land near military installations (House 104 to 18 and 98 to 24). (2025-03-26) source
  • Voted yes on all three House roll calls on SB 172 (2024), the earlier land and military installation protection bill (84 to 39, 84 to 36 and 86 to 39). (2024) source
• Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tolow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2236 (2023), establishing parents' right to direct their children's education, including a right to object to harmful and inappropriate educational materials (House 75 to 47). (2023-02-23) source
• Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on the HB 2094 (2023) conference report (House 80 to 42) and on the veto override (84 to 40); it requires SNAP recipients ages 50 to 59 to complete an employment and training program. (2023) source

No public position found on: Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Electoral College, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Childcare and pre-K, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, Kids online, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools.