Democrat Kelsey Stock defeated Republican Thomas Palenske with 54% of the vote in Kansas House District 121, flipping the western Johnson County seat covering parts of Gardner, De Soto and Olathe.
The Kansas City Star reported the results as of early Wednesday, Nov. 4. Official results and provisional ballots still need to be certified by election authorities.
Reporting status: Unofficial results as of early Nov. 4. Results remain subject to certification by the State Board of Canvassers, which must take place by Dec. 1, according to a press release from Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab.
General election results (Nov. 3) | Pct. |
|---|---|
Kelsey Stock (D) — winner | 54% |
Thomas Palenske (R) | 46% |
Source: Kansas City Star, reporting unofficial results as of early Nov. 4. Raw vote totals were not available at time of publication.
How the candidates got here
The seat opened after Rep. John Resman, a Republican who held the district, died in March at age 70, according to the Kansas City Star. In 2024, Resman won the seat with 55.5% of the vote.
Palenske, a retired Air Force brigadier general, won the Aug. 4 Republican primary with 1,500 votes, or about 52%, over incumbent Mike Storm's 1,383 votes, according to official results from the Kansas Secretary of State. Storm had been appointed to serve the remainder of Resman's term.
Stock, a Democrat, ran unopposed in her primary, receiving 2,373 votes.
Primary results (Aug. 4) | Votes | Pct. |
|---|---|---|
Republican primary |
|
|
Thomas Palenske | 1,500 | 52.03% |
Mike Storm | 1,383 | 47.97% |
Democratic primary |
|
|
Kelsey Stock (unopposed) | 2,373 | 100.00% |
Source: Kansas Secretary of State, 2026 Primary Election Official Vote Totals
Meet the candidates
Kelsey Stock works as a program manager for communication access services with the Kansas Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, according to the Kansas City Star. She is also a doctoral student in population health at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, focused on healthcare accessibility for people who are deaf.
Stock's campaign focused on reducing the cost of living, funding schools and ensuring equitable healthcare, according to the Star. She was endorsed by 314 Action, which supports scientist candidates, and Run for Something, which supports progressive candidates.
Thomas Palenske spent 39 years in the military, retiring in 2025 as a brigadier general, according to the Kansas City Star. This was his first campaign for elected office, according to the Johnson County Post.
His campaign website listed lowering property taxes, supporting law enforcement and instituting term limits for state elected officials among his priorities, according to the Kansas City Star. He was endorsed by Liz Resman, the late representative's widow, and by PACs for the Kansas Farm Bureau, Kansas Livestock Association, Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Kansans for Life.
What comes next
Due to a court injunction, Kansas has a three-day grace period for advance mail ballots. Ballots postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by county election offices by Nov. 6 are eligible to be counted. The State Board of Canvassers must certify the election by Dec. 1.
