Can a felon run for public office in Kansas?

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Do serious crimes come with political penalties in the Sunflower State?

With the recent felony convictions of former President Donald Trump and announcement that a convicted felon is running for the 2nd Congressional District in Kansas, you may be wondering if being labeled a felon has an impact on a candidate's ability to run for a political position. KSNT 27 News asked the Kansas Secretary of State's (SOS) office to learn more about what criminal convictions may prevent someone from running for office.

Kansas law gives instructions on the base qualifications candidates must meet for public office in the state such as for positions like governor, attorney general, state treasurer and secretary of state. Anyone running for one of these positions must be a "qualified elector of the state of Kansas by the deadline for filing for such office," according to K.S.A. 25-101a. Also included in the state's law are other requirements for these important political positions in Kansas:

• Be 25 years of age or older by the deadline for filing for the office.
• Have signatures of 1% of the party's total registration or have 5,000 signatures if running as an independent.
• Pay a fee dependent on the position being applied for.

Those who are seeking a position with the state's Legislature as a representative or a senator have their own eligibility requirements to meet. Prospective candidates must be and remain qualified electors in the state who live in the district they're applying for, according to the State Library of Kansas. Members of Congress, civil officers and employees of the U.S. are ineligible to be legislators in Kansas.

Another Kansas law, K.S.A. 21-6613, rules that people who are convicted in a state or federal court of a felony are ineligible to hold public office in the state. They are also barred from voting in any election and from serving as a juror in any civil or criminal case.

However, while Kansas law prevents a felon from holding public office in the state, the same cannot be said for Kansas Congressional seats. These positions are bound by rules laid out in the U.S. Constitution, not state law.

Those hoping to become a senator must be at least 30-years-old, be living in the state they are running for and have been a citizen for at least nine years, according to the U.S. Constitution. Similarly, representatives must be at least 25-years-old, have been a citizen for at least seven years and live in the state they are running for. No disqualifiers, such as being a convicted felon, are listed.

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