Ronald R. Hein (November 7, 1949 – December 21, 2022) was an American lobbyist and politician who served as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in the

Kansas State Senate The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members o ...

from 1977 to 1984, and in the

Kansas House of Representatives The Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the legislature of the U.S. state of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for craftin ...

from 1975 to 1976. Hein was born in

Seneca, Kansas Seneca is a city in and the county seat of Nemaha County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 2,139. History Seneca was founded in 1857. It was named after Seneca County, Ohio. The first post office ...

, and was active in student government and politics during his childhood. He studied

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...

Washburn University Washburn University (WU) is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, United States. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,100 u ...

, and immediately entered law school at

Washburn University School of Law The Washburn University School of Law is a public law school located on the main campus of Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas. Washburn Law was founded in 1903. The school is accredited by the American Bar Association and has been a member of ...

. He ran for the Kansas House in 1974, while also studying for the

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, and won a seven-way

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with 35% of the vote. He won the general election with relative ease, and served in the House for one term. In 1976, he successfully challenged fellow Republican Bob Storey in the primary for the 20th district in the Kansas Senate. He served two terms there, and declined to run for re-election due to a desire for higher salary. He unsuccessfully ran for a seat in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

in 1978. Hein was succeeded in the state senate by fellow Republican Alicia Salisbury. Hein founded a

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agency, regulatory agencie ...

firm after leaving office. Hein died at the

University of Kansas Hospital The University of Kansas Health System, commonly known as KU Med and formerly known as The University of Kansas Hospital, is a nonprofit, academic medical center located in Kansas City, Kansas, United States, with branch hospitals and education c ...

on December 21, 2022, at the age of 73.

References

1949 births 2022 deaths 20th-century American legislators Politicians from Topeka, Kansas Washburn University alumni Washburn University School of Law alumni Republican Party Kansas state senators Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives American lobbyists People from Seneca, Kansas Candidates in the 1978 United States elections {{Kansas-politician-stub