Ottawa man seeks Kansas House seat

Former Ottawa school board member John Coen, Wellsville, has announced he is a Republican candidate for the Kansas House of Representatives in District 10.

Because Rep. Tom Holland is running for the state senate, District 10, which includes north Ottawa, northern Franklin County and southern Douglas County, is an open race.

“I am excited for the opportunity to represent the citizens of the 10th District,” Coen said. “We have serious issues to debate in our state.

“The 2008 Legislature that just adjourned left unresolved such major issues as a comprehensive state energy policy, immigration reform, property tax relief for all citizens and cost of living adjustment for KPERS recipients.

“Having lived in this district all my life I know I can voice the feelings of my neighbors.”

A former dairy farmer, Coen has been special assistant to Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt.

Coen is resigning his position in the Senate majority leader’s office to become a candidate.

“John has been a valued member of our staff,” Schmidt, R-Independence, said. “I’m going to miss his skills and talents in serving our constituents, but I wish him all the best as he pursues this new avenue for public service.”

Coen, 51, and his wife Cherry, an Ottawa High School teacher, have lived and farmed in the district all their married lives. Together, they operated a dairy in northern Franklin County. In October of 2006, they sold the cows and Coen joined Schmidt’s staff.

Besides being an Ottawa school board member four years, Coen served 11 years on the Ransom Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, eight years on the Franklin County Farm Bureau board of directors and is a 25-year member of the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce. Both Coen and his wife are long-time 4-H leaders and he has chaperoned 4-Hers to Washington D.C. for the Citizenship Washington Focus program for the last 10 years.

He is a 1985 graduate of Franklin County Leadership and 1999 Leadership Kansas graduate. Coen served on Governor Bill Graves’ Vision 2000 Task Force for Agriculture.

The Coen family are active members of Westminster Presbyterian Church of Ottawa. The Coens have four children.

One Democrat, Tony Brown, Baldwin City, has also filed for the seat.