Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Palenske is running as a Republican for Kansas House District 121 in the Nov. 3 general election. Palenske listed no previous elected or appointed offices in a candidate questionnaire.

He faces Democrat Kelsey Stock on the November ballot.

Palenske said the late John Resman asked him to run for the seat shortly before Resman's death. "John Resman ask me to run for his seat the week before he went home to heaven," Palenske wrote. "I felt like under those circumstances I could not say no." John Resman, an Olathe Republican, held District 121 until he died March 2 at 70.

Candidate information

  • Party: Republican
  • Office sought: Kansas House of Representatives, District 121
  • Election date: Nov. 3, 2026
  • Previous elected or appointed office: None
  • Occupation: Special Operations helicopter pilot and retired Air Force general officer
  • Education: Bachelor's in human resources management; master's in international relations; master's in organizational management; master's in strategy
  • Family: Wife Jeryn Palenske; three children and six grandchildren

Background and qualifications

Asked what sets him apart from other candidates, Palenske wrote in the questionnaire: "I've led men and women in combat where nobody is particularly interested in excuses."

He cited commanding two Air Force bases and their associated wings as evidence he can handle the job.

Asked for the best advice he ever received, Palenske wrote that it was to do your job with 85% of your available energy and then find a struggling teammate and quietly donate the remaining 15% to that person.

On the issues

Property taxes: Palenske wrote that he supports giving homeowners greater protection from large, unpredictable increases in property taxes, including a reasonable limit on annual increases in taxable assessed valuations. He said homeowners should not be priced out of their homes because surrounding property values are rising. In fast-growing communities like western Johnson County, he wrote, growth should help pay for growth. New development expands the tax base, and local governments should prioritize essential services and control spending before asking existing homeowners for more.

School choice and education funding: Palenske wrote that he supports giving parents more choices, including tax-credit programs for private education. He added that school choice should not come at the expense of public school funding. He said Kansas should meet its statutory commitment to fund 92% of special education excess costs so districts do not have to divert general classroom dollars. He wrote that success should be measured by outcomes, not the size of the appropriation.

Health care: Palenske wrote that health care is too expensive for many Kansas families. He called for greater competition, price transparency and lower prescription drug costs. He said he does not support expanding traditional Medicaid without addressing underlying costs, writing that expanding eligibility "may provide coverage to more people, but it does not make health care itself more affordable." He said he favors targeted solutions that protect vulnerable Kansans and expand access to affordable private coverage.

The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.