A Kansas Republican Legislator has died.

Rep. John Resman, who represented an Olathe district for nearly a decade and worked in law enforcement for many years, has died, a state official said.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins said Resman unexpectedly died Monday at his home. The 70-year-old Republican served in the U.S. Army and had a 28-year career with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.

Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said Resman “served with integrity, dedication and a genuine care for the people of his district.”

“Beyond being a true friend to so many in the House,” Hawkins said, “he was a strong advocate for his community, always approached his work dutifully and thoughtfully took in the perspectives of his constituents when making decisions.”

“Representative Resman was a quiet but caring soul who always took the time to visit with any of us about any bill. Kansas is better because of John’s service,” said House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard, a Democrat from Lenexa.

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until sundown on the day of his interment.

“Representative Resman has a decorated history of serving his community, our state, and our country throughout his time in the Army, Kansas National Guard, the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Legislature,” Kelly said. “My deepest condolences go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

Kansas House Chaplain Larry Holmes of the Wanamaker Woods Nazarene Church in Topeka said the suddenness of Resman’s death was a shock.

“Father, you have told us in your word that your grace is sufficient,” Holmes said in the prayer opening Monday’s session of the House. “This morning, we confess to you it’s difficult to grasp the concept of grace when a close friend has passed unexpectedly.”

In the 2026 session of the Legislature, Resman was vice chairman of a House Transportation Committee and the Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee. He voted Thursday, the most recent day the House was in session, for a bill that would limit the ability of local units of government to raise property taxes.

He supported “traditional family values,” the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms, government transparency and parental control in education. He consistently opposed abortion. In 2022, he endorsed an amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have nullified a Kansas Supreme Court decision and made it easier for Kansas lawmakers to ban the procedure statewide. The amendment was rejected by voters.

“My concern is Kansas will become a destination for sex traffickers,” Resman said at that time. “Women or young girls that are being held captive in the sex trade will travel to Kansas for an abortion.”

Kansas Family Voice, a faith-based advocacy organization, described Resman on Monday as a “faithful servant of Kansas whose life was marked by courage, integrity and unwavering dedication to others.”

Resman was appointed in 2017 to the unexpired House term of Rep. Mike Kiegerl, a Republican who resigned from the House. Resman was elected four times by securing 54% to 59% of the general election vote. His replacement in the House would be determined through the appointment process.

He entered the U.S. Army in 1976 and was stationed at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth. He joined the Kansas National Guard and worked as a corrections officer in the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth before transferred to a federal prison in Otisville, New York.

In 1982, he was hired by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1997 and named supervisor in the investigations division. In 2009, he was promoted to captain. He participated in Metro Squad homicide investigations in Kansas and Missouri before retiring in 2010.

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Story via Kansas Reflector

Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector – In this image from March 21, 2022, Resman stands next to then-Rep. Bill Clifford, R-Garden City.