A local state representative will not be seeking re-election after his first term in office.
Kansas 76th District Republican Representative Brad Barret of Osage City withdrew his filing to run for the seat Wednesday. Barrett was elected to the House of Representatives back in 2024, replacing longtime representative Eric Smith, who served the district for eight years.
In a statement on Wednesday, Barrett, a special investigator for the Shawney County District Attorney’s office, stated he is planning to focus more time on his career in law enforcement, saying, “I am too busy to do both, and I want to focus on growing my law enforcement career. I can’t do that doing both jobs.”
Barrett is one of 12 House members who have decided against running for re-election this year. With Barrett now officially out of the race, Russel Stukey of Waverly, the current Director of Emergency Management and Fire Chief for Riley County, has filed for the seat.
