By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post
Voters in the sprawling North Central Kansas 110th House District have again elected Agra Republican Ken Rahjes to represent them in Topeka.
According to the unofficial election results from the Kansas Secretary of State’s office, Rahjes won all five counties that comprise the 110th district, amassing 9,215 votes compared to 1,606 for Democrat Ellace Henderson.
Rahjes received 85% of the vote.
He said it’s an honor that voters in the district had the “confidence” to send him back to Topeka.
"Sometimes, one should not take that for granted. I don't believe I did," Rhajes said. "Every day we were out working it like we do every day, whether we're up for election or not, and so it means a lot."
Rahjes said he believes the overwhelming support he received, winning handily in all five counties, sends a strong message.
“They want us to keep doing what we're doing, and that is fight for the rights and the freedoms that we have, and what we've been doing the last several years has met favorably with those in the 110th district,” Rhajes said.
He said he is proud of his work on higher education and supporting agriculture in the state during his nine years in the legislature.
Water conservation is also an important topic Rahjes says will be a focus of the next legislative session.
“How we make sure that we have good quality and quantity of water, not only for irrigators but industrial users and municipalities and to have those relationships with those stakeholders is so important,” Rhajes said.
Ag issues will continue to be a significant focal point for Rahjes.
"We've been trying to make sure that agriculture interests stay front and center in an agriculture state," Rahjes said. "And people say, 'Well, that makes sense.' Well, you know, we become more urbanized all the time as a state."
He said he is disappointed in their work on tax relief, and he believes that will be a focal point this year.
"We can make good, strong investments and also give some of that money the federal government gave us during COVID that we've been holding on back in the form of tax relief," Rahjes said. "I think that's what you're going to see because of the national outlook and then Trump tax cuts up for renewal this coming year, now, with him being in the White House and at least one, if not both, houses of Congress in D.C., going Republican, you'll see a big push that, I think that will spill over into the state."
Rahjes also said he believes there will be a learning process in the first year of the new legislature because of the new faces in Congress.
"Everybody on Election Day is kind of at an all-time high point. The adrenaline is going, and now we got to govern," Rahjes said. "It's great to win an election, but now this is the heavy lift. This is the governing. This is to put those thoughts and those ideas and push them forward to do no harm to our Kansas citizens and do what's right."