Kansas Democrat senator set to retire in 2023

MANHATTAN (KSNT) - Kansas Sen. Tom Hawk, D-Manhattan, has announced that he plans to retire from the state Senate in early 2023.

Hawk said he would officially retire on Jan. 10 from his role as senator of the 22nd Senate District. His district includes Riley, Geary and Clay Counties.

“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve our state and represent my pocket of Kansas in the Legislature," Hawk said. "I am grateful to my neighbors for placing their trust in me to be their voice in Topeka over these past 10-plus years,” Hawk said. “I look forward to continuing this work as a private citizen, and will seek opportunities to advocate for Manhattan at every turn in this new chapter of my life.”

Hawk has served for two full terms in the Senate after being elected to the position in 2010. Before joining the Senate, he served for three terms in the House. He is also the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Transportation.

“Kansans — and especially the residents of the 22nd Senate District — should count themselves lucky to have had a leader like Tom Hawk in Topeka over the past 10 years; I know I do,” said Senate Democratic Leader Dinah Sykes, of Lenexa. “Tom’s work securing K-12 and higher education funding and advancing bipartisan legislative packages such as the Eisenhower Transportation Plan will benefit the state for generations to come. His intellect, attention to detail, and inimitable wit made our team stronger. Our caucus will feel a little emptier and a lot less funny without Tom Hawk in the room every day. We wish him the very best in retirement.”

Hawk has served the public for 51 years. Before he joined the legislature, he served as executive director of the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board of Kansas and spent 33 years with Manhattan-Ogden schools.