Stephanie Clayton


Stephanie Clayton is a Democratic member of the Kansas House of Representatives representing the 19th district. She has served since 2013. She was elected as a Republican, but announced she was changing her party affiliation on December 19, 2018. Clayton enumerated additional reasons for changing parties: "Leaders in the Kansas House and Senate have now indicated that they will seek to scrap the bipartisan education plan achieved over the last two years, just as we are so close to solving this problem and ending the cycle of school litigation, adding, "My Republican Party, then, seems to no longer represent or serve the interests of the 19th District, Johnson County, or the State of Kansas." Dinah Sykes said she felt she could either "fight to change the Republican party or fight for the state I love and the people I serve," adding she thinks she can better the state and her constituents as a Democrat. "I am a moderate person who represents a moderate and pragmatic district that expects me to focus on issues and solutions that impact their day-to-day lives. Increasingly, I see the Republican party focusing on issues and approaches that divide our country. I do not agree with that approach." Two other women incumbents who were former Republican legislators from Johnson county also switched parties in December 2018, though one had lost her primary.
On Nov. 15, 2019 she announced her candidacy for the 7th district seat in the Kansas Senate. On January 21, 2020, she announced that she was ending her campaign for the Kansas Senate and would seek reelection to a fifth term in the Kansas House of Representatives.
On March 10, 2020 she was appointed as ranking minority member of the House Education Committee.

Kansas House of Representatives

2019-2020 Committees
2017-2018 Committees
2015-2016 Committees
2013-2014 Committees