Douglas County, Kansas

Commissioner District 1

One candidate is tracked for Commissioner District 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Patrick Kelly. Candidate information follows official Douglas County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.

About this race

August 4 primary result: Patrick Kelly (52.1 percent) won the Democratic nomination over Milton Scott (47.9 percent) and advances to the November 3 ballot, per the official results. Douglas County's official election-results portal (linked from dgcoks.gov/county-clerk/voting-and-elections as 'the official totals are now posted on our results page', certified by the Board of Canvassers 8/17/26). Vote totals here are summed across the district's precinct rows from that live-results page (a JS precinct-by-precinct report, not a single summary total), so the county total may be off by a precinct or two; the resulting 52.1%/47.9% split matches incumbent Patrick Kelly's win reported by the Lawrence Times (52.2%/47.8%, https://lawrencekstimes.com/2026/08/04/dgcocomm-202608-results/) within rounding. Winner (Kelly) is not in doubt. A contested August 4 Democratic ballot; with no Republican filed, the winner is positioned to take the seat, per the Douglas County Clerk's certified list and the Lawrence Times. Appears only on District 1 ballots.

What this office does

County commissioner. The county board is the county's legislative and, in most states, executive body. Commissioners adopt the county budget and property tax rate, oversee roads, the jail, public health, planning and zoning in unincorporated areas, and appoint or confirm department heads. In counties with an elected county executive or judge, the board's role is mainly the budget and ordinances.

This race. Elected by district: only voters who live in the district see this race on their ballot. The sitting officeholder, Patrick Kelly, is on the ballot. One name is on the ballot for this seat.

Kansas › Douglas County › Commissioner District 1

Patrick Kelly

Democratic Incumbent

Top priorities

Affordable housing and everyday costs through responsible budgeting
Protecting natural and cultural resources with community-driven growth expectations
Partnerships for behavioral health and aging services

Per the Lawrence Times questionnaire.

Biography

A retired public school educator who teaches for the Kansas Leadership Center and has served as a commissioner for eight years, per the Lawrence Times candidate questionnaire. He points to reduced county mill levies in each of the last four years, per his campaign site.

Campaign site (opens in a new tab)

Next on your ballotCommissioner District 4

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Questions about this race

Who is running for Commissioner District 1 in 2026?

When is the Commissioner District 1 election in Kansas?

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Kansas are on the Kansas election hub at theballotbrief.com.

How do I see my exact Douglas County ballot?

Enter your ZIP code in the lookup at theballotbrief.com for the statewide and congressional races, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location.

Verify this race

Candidate roster from official Douglas County and state election office filings, last verified October 2, 2026. Bios and priorities carry their attribution inline.

Cross-check with the official Kansas election office, or see the full Douglas County sample ballot and your exact ballot by address.

The rest of your Douglas County ballot

12 tracked races in Douglas County, Kansas. Landed here from another county's search? Look up your own ballot below.

Also on your ballot

Commissioner District 5 Kansas House District 5 Kansas House District 10 See all 12 Douglas County races

Candidate profiles

Patrick Kelly, full profile Official Kansas election office