Dennis Pyle
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Dennis D. Pyle (born February 4, 1961) in
Hiawatha, Kansas Hiawatha ( Ioway: ''Hári Wáta'' pronounced ) is the largest city and county seat of Brown County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 3,280. History Etymology B.L. Rider reportedly was responsible ...
is an independent member of the
Kansas 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 ...
, representing the 1st district since 2005. He ran for governor of Kansas in the 2022 election.


Legislative career

Pyle was a member of 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 crafti ...
for the 49th district from 2001 to 2003. He lost a race for reelection to Republican Scott Schwab, who later became the Kansas Secretary of State, but was elected to his
Kansas 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 ...
seat in 2004. In 2020, he won his third reelection to his
first district First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
position in northeast Kansas with over 70% of the vote.Sen. Dennis Pyle launching independent campaign for Kansas governor Joins field with Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Gov. Laura Kelly
'' Kansas Reflector'', Tim Carpenter, June 7, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.


Committee assignments

Pyle served on these legislative committees: but was removed by Senate President Ty Masterson from some of those assignments during the 2022 legislative session when he refused to vote for the
Kansas Republican Party The Kansas Republican Party is the state affiliate political party in Kansas of the United States Republican Party. The Kansas Republican Party was organized in May 1859. At the state level, the party is largely split between its moderate and con ...
's congressional redistricting map. * Agriculture * Assessment and Taxation * Children's Issues * Special Claims Against the State * State-Tribal Relations * Utilities


Sponsored legislation

Pyle's sponsored bills have included: * A bill promoting trade between Kansas and Taiwan. * A bill regarding income tax credit for some property taxes.


Major donors

The top contributors to Pyle's 2008 campaign, according to
OpenSecrets OpenSecrets is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that tracks data on campaign finance and lobbying. It was created from a merger of the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) and the National Institute on Money in Politics (NIMP) ...
were the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee, State of Kansas Department of Administration, Kansas Medical Society, Brown County Republican Central Committee, Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee Party.


Congressional campaigns

In 2010, Pyle challenged incumbent Representative
Lynn Jenkins Lynn Haag Jenkins (born June 10, 1963) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for , in office from 2009 to 2019. She previously served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2003 to 2008, in the Kansas House of Repr ...
in the Republican primary for . He received 43% of the vote. He ran again for the seat in a crowded field in 2018, as Jenkins was retiring, but the race was won by self-financed, one-term Republican Steve Watkins.


Ethics complaint

On June 5, 2010, it was made public that a formal ethics complaint had been filed against Pyle, "alleging improper expenditures from his Senate campaign account on a trip to Washington, D.C., to evaluate support for his challenge of U.S. Rep.
Lynn Jenkins Lynn Haag Jenkins (born June 10, 1963) is an American politician and lobbyist who served as the U.S. representative for , in office from 2009 to 2019. She previously served as Kansas State Treasurer from 2003 to 2008, in the Kansas House of Repr ...
." The complaint specifically alleged "Pyle violated state campaign finance laws by using money raised for a state campaign for activities related to possible federal campaign." On June 28, 2010, Pyle was cleared of any wrongdoing.


2022 gubernatorial campaign

On June 7, 2022, Pyle announced his plan to pursue a campaign for the office of Governor of Kansas because he said, "I am a God-loving American, devoted to the Constitution and protecting our children, and I am entering this race to give Kansans a choice". To reach the ballot requires 5,000 signatures as verified by the three-member Kansas Objections Board. The Board includes the
Kansas Secretary of State The secretary of state of Kansas is one of the constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Kansas. The current secretary of state is the former speaker ''pro tempore'' of the Kansas House of Representatives, Scott Schwab, who was sworn in on Ja ...
, Republican
Scott Schwab Scott Joseph Schwab (born July 9, 1972) is an American politician serving as the 32nd Secretary of State of Kansas. He served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing the 49th district, from 2009 to 2019. He also served as ...
and Attorney General and Republican gubernatorial candidate
Derek Schmidt Derek Larkin Schmidt (born January 23, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who has been the Kansas Attorney General since 2011. A Republican, Schmidt was first elected to office serving in the Kansas Senate, where he represented the 15 ...
, along with the governor's General Counsel. The situation with Board's potential conflicts has been scrutinized for some time, in particular by former State Senator Anthony Hensley.State Objections Board must be overhauled
''
Capital Journal The ''Capital Journal'' is a newspaper in Pierre, South Dakota, founded in 1881. It serves the South Dakota capital city of Pierre and the surrounding region, including Fort Pierre. As of December 2012, it reported a daily circulation of 10,750 ...
'', Capital Journal Editorial Advisory Board, August 28, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
In August, Pyle turned in almost 9,000 signatures for review.Kansas state senator delivers signatures needed to enter governor’s race as independent
'' Kansas Reflector'', Sherman Smith, August 1, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
C.J. Grover, the campaign manager for Republican
Kansas Attorney General The Attorney General of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas. Kris Kobach assumed office on January 9, 2023. Divisions * Criminal Justice * Civil Litigation * Consumer ...
Derek Schmidt Derek Larkin Schmidt (born January 23, 1968) is an American lawyer and politician who has been the Kansas Attorney General since 2011. A Republican, Schmidt was first elected to office serving in the Kansas Senate, where he represented the 15 ...
, labelled Pyle as a "fake conservative." "who just wants attention." "He stood with pro-abortion legislators to nearly derail the 'Value Them Both' amendment," adding, "...he sided with (Governor)
Laura Kelly Laura Jeanne Kelly (born January 24, 1950)"Laura Kelly,"
''Kansapedia,''
,
Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
's lawyers and the ACLU against our Republican majority in the Legislature on redistricting maps." "Now, he's trying to help Laura Kelly and Joe Biden again with a vanity run for governor." Kansas Republican Party Executive Director Shannon Pahls said Pyle is "knowingly providing Laura Kelly the only path to a second term." Pyle in turn described Schmidt and Kelly as "two peas in a pod." The Republican party launched an effort to get signers of Pyle's ballot inclusion petition to withdraw their signatures. On August 25, 2022, the Kansas Secretary of State announced that he collected enough valid signatures to be placed on the ballot.Our office confirms that Senator Dennis Pyle’s independent nomination petition for Kansas governor is certified.
''Kansas Secretary of State'', August 25, 2022. Retrieved August 25, 2022.


Personal life

Pyle attended Grace College of the Bible. He is married to Jennifer Pyle, and they farm in Hiawatha. They have six daughters.


References


External links


Pyle for Kansas
campaign website
Senator Dennis Pyle
legislative website , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Pyle, Dennis 1961 births 21st-century American politicians Grace University alumni Kansas Independents Kansas Republicans Kansas state senators Living people Members of the Kansas House of Representatives People from Hiawatha, Kansas