Who is running for Kansas House, District 43 in 2026?

Private citizen

Kristen Schultz, a Democrat from Gardner, says she has more than 20 years as a local small business owner and served on the Gardner-Edgerton school board from 2016 to 2022, according to her campaign site². She faces incumbent Republican Bill Sutton on November 3¹.

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 43, Gardner); chair of the House Insurance Committee

Bill Sutton, a Republican, has represented Kansas House District 43 since 2012 and lists his occupation as inventory control¹. He chairs the House Insurance Committee and the 2026 Special Committee on the 340B Program¹. He faces Democrat Kristen Schultz on November 3².

Where they stand 14 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• 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 gender transition for minors (House 83 to 35 on 2025-01-31; veto override 85 to 34). (2025-02-18) source
• 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). (2023-04-05) 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 (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 (House 77 to 46 on 2025-03-04; 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 4 (2025), which requires advance mail ballots to arrive by 7 p.m. on election day (House 80 to 39 on 2025-02-27; veto override 84 to 41). (2025-03-25) source
  • Voted yes on the SAVE Kansas Act, HB 2437 (2026), which expands voter roll checks (House 85 to 39; conference report 80 to 43; veto override 84 to 39). (2026-04-09) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2503 (2026), repealing 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 public colleges 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. It did not reach a roll call. (2025) source
• Death penaltyAbolish it and use life without parole insteadmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Is a named sponsor of HB 2272 (2025), which provides that no person is sentenced to death for crimes committed after July 1, 2025, and creates the crime of aggravated murder. The bill did not reach a roll call. (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). (2024-02-22) source
  • Voted yes on SCR 1603 (2023), a resolution urging the President to reject environmental mandates that restrict domestic energy production and to expand oil and natural gas production (House 87 to 37 on final action; 84 to 35 on the earlier vote to recommend it). (2023-03-29) source
• Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2094 (2023), which requires SNAP recipients ages 50 to 59 to complete an employment and training program and sets child support cooperation rules for child care help (House conference report 80 to 42 on 2023-04-06; veto override 84 to 40). (2023-04-26) 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 by streamlined approval (House 97 to 27 on emergency final action; the 117 to 5 conference report is not used). (2026-03-18) 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 bars foreign principals from countries of concern from holding real estate near military installations and from economic development benefits (House 104 to 18 on 2025-03-07; conference report 98 to 24). (2025-03-26) source
  • Voted yes on all three House roll calls on SB 172 (2024), the earlier Kansas land and military installation protection act (84 to 39, 84 to 36 and 86 to 39). (2024-04-29) 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

No public position found on: Minimum wage, Business regulation, Healthcare, Abortion, School choice, Policing and crime, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Marijuana, Redistricting, Term limits, Electoral College, 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, Religion in schools.