Suzanne Wikle is running as a Democrat to represent mostly southeastern parts of Lawrence in Kansas House District 10.
Wikle — rhymes with Michael — shared her background in policy and advocacy, plus her views on child care, affordable health care and more.
No Republicans or minor-party candidates filed for the race, so it will likely be decided in the Tuesday, Aug. 6 primary election.
Wikle will face Democrat Zachary Hawkins in the primary. Hawkins did not respond to the questionnaire.
Candidates were given eight days to respond to these questions, and we sent two follow-up reminders to emphasize that taking the time to fill this out will help show our readers — thousands of their constituents in Lawrence — that they matter.
We did not give candidates a word count limit but advised them to keep answers concise. Wikle’s answers appear below verbatim.
In addition to this questionnaire, Wikle participated in a candidate forum on July 13. Hawkins was not in attendance. Read about that at this link.
Will this race be on my ballot? Check which legislative districts you’re in at myvoteinfo.voteks.org.
Early voting began Wednesday, July 17. Voters can request a ballot to vote early by mail through Tuesday, July 30 at KSVotes.org. See this article for key info on how to cast your ballot.
Look for more coverage and candidate questionnaires still to come at lawrencekstimes.com/election2024.
Jump to a topic:
• Meet the candidates
• Experience and qualifications
• Top 3 issues
• Legalizing cannabis
• Expanding Medicaid
• Public funds to private schools
• Local control
• Abortion regulations
• LGBTQ+ rights and transgender kids
• Top concerns heard from voters
• Question for opponent
• Free space
• Just for fun
This district
This map is zoomed in to show more detail of House districts in Lawrence. District 10 is in yellow-green in this map.
Kansas House District 10 is currently represented by Christina Haswood, who has filed to run for Kansas Senate District 2 against incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco.
Kansas House District 10 includes much of Lawrence between East 15th Street to the north and the Wakarusa River to the south.
The bulk of the district spans from East 1600 Road to the east to Iowa Street to the west, but it also extends as far west as Kasold Drive in some places.
Click here to see a PDF map of the district.
Meet the candidate
Suzanne Wikle
Age: 43
Hometown, and time in Douglas County? I grew up in Shawnee, KS. I’ve lived in Lawrence for 14 of the last 17 years.
Where you currently reside: The Barker Neighborhood in Lawrence
Day job: I am Associate Director for State Health Policy and Advocacy at a national policy organization. In my role I work with advocates in states across the country to help them advocate for improved access to Medicaid. I monitor state policy trends in health and safety-net policy, and interpret national policy guidance and legislation for state implications.
How voters can reach you: suzanne4ks@gmail.com
Website; social media links: SuzanneWikle.com; Suzanne Wikle for Kansas on Facebook; @wikle4ks on Instagram; @Wikle4KS on Twitter
About you and your positions
A * indicates an answer was required to submit this questionnaire.
Q: What specific experience and qualifications do you possess that make you the best candidate for the seat you’re seeking?*
I am highly qualified to serve in the Kansas legislature. I am running for Kansas House District 10 in order to put my advocacy and policy skills to use for the district. I have worked in the policy and advocacy space for 17 years with a focus on children and family issues, anti-poverty work, health policy, and racial equity policy. I spent seven years working in the Kansas statehouse as an advocate for children’s health issues. During that time I spearheaded the passage of several pieces of legislation and budget items, including an eligibility expansion for children’s Medicaid, updating child care provider licensing standards, and legislation that has led to a reduction in infant mortality rates in Kansas.
For the past nine and a half years I’ve worked for national policy organizations. I support and advise advocates across the country to help them identify how their states can provide stronger safety net policies for children and families.
Over the course of my career I have developed a depth of policy knowledge that makes me qualified to craft and debate legislation, engage with stakeholders, and find compromise with other members of the legislature. I have a deep understanding of the legislative process, including inside the Kansas statehouse, and of the relationship between federal, state and local funding and policy. I will be able to deeply engage from day one and help move the Governor’s remaining priorities during her last two years in office.
I also have real life experience about many of the issues I’m passionate about. My husband and I have one child in the public school system and another in child care. I have a vested interest in ensuring strong public schools and finding solutions to the child care crisis. As a mom of a daughter, I am very passionate about protecting reproductive rights and abortion access. As someone who had to take out loans for college and graduate school and has paid student loans while also trying to save for my children’s education, I fully understand the need to ensure higher education opportunities are affordable.
The combination of my professional experience and life skills positions me to be a strong representative for House District 10. Voters can read more about my decision to run in the blog on my website.
Q: Please list the top three issues motivating you to run for this office. What concrete ideas do you have to make a difference on each issue if you are elected? Please be as specific as possible.*
Affordable and accessible health care. This includes getting Medicaid expansion over the finish line and ensuring abortion and other reproductive health care remains accessible. Common sense gun laws also fall in this category because gun violence is a public health issue. I have the Gun Sense Candidate Distinction from Moms Demand Action.
Fully supporting education systems. Increasing public investments in child care and early education, fully funding K-12 (including special education), and supporting higher education will make our communities stronger. Supporting education systems is vital for the education and well-being of children and young adults, and also because USD 497 and KU are two of the largest employers in our community. Beyond funding, I will advocate that legislators trust teachers and push back against efforts to micromanage the classrooms or schools. I was recently endorsed by Kansas NEA for the primary election.
Relieving economic stress on Kansans. Medicaid expansion and helping families afford child care and higher education will provide economic relief. Related priorities include shoring up our safety-net system, supporting workers and unions, restructuring our tax system so that the wealthiest pay their fair share and property taxes are less of a burden for our seniors, strengthening KPERs, and taking steps to increase affordable housing.
Q: Would you support legalizing cannabis in Kansas?*
Options given: Yes, for any use (medicinal, recreational, etc.); Yes, for medicinal use; No
Yes, for any use (medicinal, recreational, etc.)
Q: Would you support expansion of Medicaid in Kansas?*
(Only yes/no options given)
Yes
Q: Would you support initiatives to spend more public money on private schools, such as through vouchers, charter schools, tax credits and so forth?*
(Only yes/no options given)
No
Q: Please elaborate on any of your answers to the yes/no questions above if you’d like to.
I support the legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational use, in conjunction with two key measures. One, we need to have a discussion and take action on righting the wrongs of the past and addressing disparities in cannabis related convictions. Two, legalization needs to be done in an equitable manner, meaning that the details around legalization (i.e. licenses to sell) are designed in a way that doesn’t concentrate profits and wealth from this new opportunity in the hands of a small number of people.
Medicaid expansion — I have worked on Medicaid policy for more than 15 years, was appointed by Governor Kelly to her Medicaid expansion commission as a national expert in 2019, and have worked with advocates in more than a dozen states to improve access to Medicaid. I will be a constant and strong advocate for Medicaid expansion and be an expert policy resource for the democratic caucus.
School funding — I am a graduate of public schools in Kansas and have a child in an elementary school here in Lawrence. I will always be a strong supporter of public education and have been endorsed by the Kansas National Educators Association (KNEA). I firmly believe that public dollars belong in public schools and the legislature should place trust in teachers and not try to micromanage classrooms.
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Q: Please share your views on local control. Do you believe the Legislature should seek to enact state laws that affect municipalities’ ability to self-govern? If so, in what circumstances? If not, how will you stand up for local control?*
Context given to candidates: The Lawrence City Commission in 2022 stripped some protections of immigrants from local ordinances in response to changes in state laws.
The city in 2023 passed a safe haven ordinance to create additional protections for transgender people in response to anti-trans legislation (SB 180 in particular).
The city also approved a ban on single-use plastic bags, which legislators attempted to nullify with a new law that was vetoed this year.
The issue of preemption and local control is not a black and white issue. Local control is incredibly important and should be honored unless the actions by local governing bodies harm or discriminate against certain populations. I’ll stand up for local control issues the same way I will advocate for other issues: by building relationships with colleagues, asking the hard questions of people pursuing policy I think oversteps on local control, doing research on the issue, and standing up and saying what needs to be said.
Q: Kansas voters in August 2022 soundly rejected a constitutional amendment that would have opened the door to extreme restrictions on abortion. Still, the Legislature has passed or attempted to pass more laws regulating abortion. Please share your stance on what actions the Legislature should or should not take regarding abortion.*
The only action the Legislature should take on abortion is to further codify the right to an abortion, require private insurance to cover abortion as part of all health plans, and take the step other states have taken to make abortion a covered health benefit for those insured by Medicaid.
The legislature should not be taking any further actions to restrict abortion access, place greater burdens on abortion providers, or gather private information from people seeking abortion care. The legislature should also not do anything to restrict access to birth control, IVF, or any other reproductive health care.
Voters should understand that I will always be a strong and vocal advocate for all access to health care, including abortion and other reproductive care. It is not only imperative for the health of Kansans, but also for our ability to attract doctors and other providers to Kansas.
Q: In recent years, the Legislature has increasingly passed or attempted to pass legislation that could have potential negative outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. Please explain your stance on the rights of LGBTQ+ people — particularly transgender kids — and what the Legislature’s role in their lives and health care should be.*
My stance on the rights of LGBTQ+ people, including transgender kids, is that they have the same rights as people who are straight and cisgendered. The only role the legislature should have in the lives of LGBTQ+ people is enshrining their rights as equal to everyone else’s rights and banning any form of discrimination. This includes leaving medical decisions for transgender youth to be made by the youth, their parents, and their doctors.
Optional questions
Q: What would you say is the top concern you’ve heard from voters as you’ve been campaigning, and what actions would you take to better that problem?
I’ve heard strong support for reproductive rights and concern about the majority in the Legislature continue to try to take away those rights. I’ve also heard a lot about education funding and the need to make child care more affordable for families. I’ve also heard about the need for Medicaid expansion.
If elected I plan to seek a seat on the two committees that deal with bills related to Medicaid expansion and reproductive rights – Health and Human Services and Federal and State Affairs. As members of those committees I will both work to develop relationships with my colleagues on the committee, be a vocal and strong voice for Medicaid expansion and reproductive rights, and ask tough questions of those on the opposing side.
On the issue of affordable child care, I will always be talking about this with colleagues in the legislature. This is a critical issue for families with young children. It is also an economic development issue that affects businesses in our community and across the state. Every time there’s discussion about attracting new business to Kansas or other economic development I will be asking what the plan is to ensure that workers have affordable child care available. Kansas has had record breaking economic development in recent years, but I am concerned that if we don’t address the child care crisis with the same energy we devote to attracting new business, new jobs created won’t be an option for parents – particularly women – with young children.
Q: Please share a question we didn’t ask that you’d like your fellow candidates to answer. How would you respond?
How do you plan to work collaboratively with other elected officials from Lawrence and Douglas County to ensure the community’s priorities are brought to the table in Topeka?
Our community is best served when our elected officials find every opportunity to work together to bring forward a unified voice and agenda in Topeka. For example, all of the legislative districts in Lawrence are impacted by state decisions on higher education funding and policy. As one member of the delegation from Lawrence and Douglas County, I will be deliberate about relationship building with other local members of the legislature and our elected officials serving on the city commission, schools board, and county commission. While I recognize that we will not all agree on everything, I think intentionally bringing a collective voice to Topeka when possible will greatly benefit this community.
Q: Free space: Please share anything you’d like voters to know about you and your stances that we haven’t asked here.
Affordable housing is a significant and growing issue. Families and individuals are being priced out of buying and renting homes. Action is needed at both the state and local levels in order to ensure every Kansans has access to safe, affordable housing. At the state level, I will work with stakeholders, advocates, and colleagues in the House to explore policies that help Kansans afford housing.
Just for fun
Candidates were not required to answer any of these questions, but we wanted to give our readers a chance to get to know them a little better and have some fun with this.
Favorite color? Blue
Zodiac sign? Aquarius
Do you have any pets, and/or what’s your favorite animal? Our family has a dog, Hogan, that we adopted from the Lawrence Humane Society.
What’s a fun fact our readers may not know about you? (Have a hidden talent? Interesting hobby?) I used to play competitive ultimate frisbee. My college team went to nationals and I was named to the all region team.
Many people ask me how to pronounce my last name — it rhymes with Michael.
Favorite book, TV show and/or movie? Between having two young children, working full-time and running a campaign, I haven’t read as much fiction in recent months as I would like. I do look forward to finding a couple good historical fiction books after the election. Our household enjoys watching Bluey.
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