Riley County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026
13 candidates are on the November 3, 2026 ballot across 8 Riley County races, led by the Riley County Commissioner, District 1 contest.
County offices
Commissioner, District 1John Ford (R) · Rob Voelker (D)
John Ford Republican Incumbent
John Ford is the incumbent Riley County commissioner for the 1st District, first elected in 2018. He works for Florence Corporation in Manhattan and is a Kansas State University graduate in construction science, per News Radio KMAN. Ford filed in April 2026 for a third term, saying property taxes are the county's main issue, per KMAN. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026.
Rob Voelker Democratic
- Collaborative, listening-focused leadership on the commission
- Strong leadership for Riley County
Per the campaign site.
About Rob Voelker
Rob Voelker is a Democratic candidate for the Riley County Commission's 1st District seat and a former broadcaster, per News Radio KMAN. He filed in February 2026 to challenge incumbent Republican John Ford, describing himself on his campaign site as a collaborator focused on strong leadership for the county.
August 4 primary result: incumbent John Ford won the Republican nomination with 58 percent (721 votes) over Gary Bennington (42 percent, 521 votes), per News Radio KMAN and the Riley County board of canvassers' certification. Democrat Rob Voelker ran unopposed in his primary, so Ford and Voelker meet on the November 3 ballot.
Full race pageSchool board
Member, Kansas State Board of Education, District 1Jennifer Lloyd (D) · Amy Cawvey (R)
Jennifer Lloyd (Democratic) and Amy Cawvey (Republican) are on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Member, Kansas State Board of Education, District 1.
Jennifer Lloyd Democratic
Jennifer Lloyd is on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Member, Kansas State Board of Education, District 1, per the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 23, 2026.
Amy Cawvey Republican
- Limit screen time for elementary students
- Oppose inclusion of social emotional learning content in state academic standards
- Oppose diversity, equity and inclusion content in curriculum
Per the campaign site.
About Amy Cawvey
Amy Cawvey is a former member of the Lansing USD 469 School Board and serves as Kansas chairman of the National School Boards Coalition, per her campaign site. Her campaign says she introduced and helped pass a local Parents Bill of Rights policy while on the Lansing board, per the same source.
Jennifer Lloyd (Democratic) and Amy Cawvey (Republican) are running for Kansas State Board of Education District 1, per the Kansas Secretary of State's certified 2026 general election candidate list. District 1 covers all or part of a group of Kansas counties, per the Kansas State Department of Education's official district map; this seat covers a multi-county district, not just this county.
Full race pageBy address
These seats are elected by district; only the district covering your address is on your ballot.
Riley County is split across 6 Kansas House districts.
Find your districts by addressKansas House: 6 districtsDistricts 51, 61, 64, 66, 67, 68
Kansas House District 51Megan D. Steele (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Megan D. Steele Republican Incumbent
- Restoring excellence in education and ensuring every child has the right to learn to read
- Protecting parental rights and family values
- Government accountability
Per the campaign site.
About Megan D. Steele
Steele holds a Ph.D. in nursing and has worked as an educator, per the campaign site. She serves on the Kansas House Education Committee and was appointed to the Education Funding Formula Task Force, per the campaign site. She is married with five children and says her path from young motherhood to earning her doctorate shaped her focus on education and family policy, per the campaign site.
August 4 primary result: no Democratic candidate filed; Megan D. Steele was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Megan D. Steele is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's official primary results. The field matches the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list as of September 6, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageKansas House District 61Francis Awerkamp (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Francis Awerkamp Republican Incumbent
Francis Awerkamp is the Republican nominee for Kansas House District 61 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: no Democratic candidate filed; Francis Awerkamp won the Republican nomination with 60.9 percent over Robert Thomas. Francis Awerkamp is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's official primary results. The field matches the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list as of September 6, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageKansas House District 64Lewis (Bill) Bloom (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Lewis (Bill) Bloom Republican Incumbent
Lewis (Bill) Bloom is the sitting Kansas House member for District 64 and works as farmer, per the Kansas Legislature member page. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: no Democratic candidate filed; Lewis (Bill) Bloom was unopposed for the Republican nomination. Lewis (Bill) Bloom is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's official primary results. The field matches the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list as of September 6, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageKansas House District 66Sydney Carlin (D) · Noah Perry (R) · Andrew Frey (Libertarian)
Sydney Carlin Democratic Incumbent
- Supports a balanced tax policy that does not overburden property owners and families
- Supports funding for K-12, Kansas State University and manufacturing and technical college programs
Per the campaign site.
About Sydney Carlin
Sydney Carlin is the sitting State Representative for Kansas House District 66, per the Kansas Legislature's website. The campaign site says Carlin has a record of working across the aisle on legislation affecting Kansans.
Noah Perry Republican
- Education reform
- Child advocacy
- Mental health policy
Per the campaign site.
About Noah Perry
Noah Perry is a 19-year-old Republican running for Kansas House District 66, per his campaign site, which highlights education reform, child advocacy, and mental health as priorities.
Andrew Frey Libertarian
Andrew Frey is the Libertarian nominee for Kansas House District 66 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 6, 2026.
August 4 primary result: Sydney Carlin was unopposed for the Democratic nomination; Noah Perry was unopposed for the Republican nomination. The nominees meet on the November 3 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's official primary results. Andrew Frey (Libertarian) is also on the November ballot, per the Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list. The field matches the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list as of September 6, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageKansas House District 67Brenda Bandy (D) · Stacy Kohlmeier (R)
Brenda Bandy Democratic
Brenda Bandy is a public health advocate and 43-year resident of Manhattan running as the Democratic nominee for Kansas House District 67, per her candidate page.
Stacy Kohlmeier Republican
- Supports maintaining local control and fully funding K-12 schools
- Supports responsible fiscal stewardship and modernizing government to reduce costs
Per the campaign site.
About Stacy Kohlmeier
Stacy Kohlmeier has more than 40 years of experience in business, per the campaign site. Kohlmeier is a candidate for Kansas House District 67.
August 4 primary result: Brenda Bandy was unopposed for the Democratic nomination; Stacy Kohlmeier won the Republican nomination with 63.8 percent over Kaleb James. The nominees meet on the November 3 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's official primary results. The field matches the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list as of September 6, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageKansas House District 68Nathan (Nate) Butler (R)
Unopposed: still on your ballot.
Nathan (Nate) Butler Republican Incumbent
- Support veterans and military personnel in recognition of their sacrifice
- Lower the tax burden at the state level to promote economic growth and job creation
- Sustain K-12 education funding so educators have the resources they need
Per the campaign site.
About Nathan (Nate) Butler
Nathan Butler is a realtor with RE/MAX Signature Properties in Junction City who also serves as Junction City commissioner and a consultant for pastors in the Smoky Hill Baptist Association, per the campaign site. He is a retired Army officer with more than 20 years of military service, per the campaign site.
August 4 primary result: no Democratic candidate filed; Nathan (Nate) Butler won the Republican nomination with 79.7 percent over Desree Pettera. Nathan (Nate) Butler is the only nominee on the November 3 ballot, per the Kansas Secretary of State's official primary results. The field matches the Kansas Secretary of State's 2026 general election candidate list as of September 6, 2026. This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Full race pageSee your full ballot
Voting info and more
Voting info and more
Verify your ballot with the official election office.
Cross-check every race and candidate with the official election office. Official sources are the final word.
Kansas nominees were set by the August 4 primary, one per party, and meet on the November 3 ballot; all 125 state House seats are up, the state Senate is not, and county row officers (clerk, treasurer, register of deeds, county attorney, sheriff) are on the 2024/2028 cycle, so county pages carry commission seats, retention questions and local questions, per the Secretary of State.
Who is on the ballot in Riley County, Kansas on November 3, 2026?
Riley County sample ballot 2026: see where the county commissioner, kansas house and member candidates stand on schools and the budget. Every candidate profile on this page names the official filing or campaign source it came from.
When is the 2026 general election in Kansas?
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Registration deadlines, early voting dates and mail ballot rules for Kansas are listed on the Kansas election hub. Kansas election hub →
How do I see my exact Riley County ballot?
Enter your ZIP code in the lookup for the statewide and congressional races on every ballot in the county, or a full street address to add the county, city and district contests for that location. Look up your ballot →
Kansas statewide racesEvery Kansas race on this county's ballot.All Kansas ballot measures1 statewide ballot measureCandidate roster last updated Sep 25, 2026 from official election sources.