Robyn R. Essex
Kansas State Representative, District 78 since 2022. Ran in 2 elections between 2022 and 2024, winning 2. Ran for re-election in 2026; the count goes on.
- In office
- 3 yrs
- Since 2022
- Bills became law
- 1
- 17 sponsored, 2025–2026 session
- Votes missed
- 0.7%
- Chamber median 1.2%
- With party
- 95%
- On votes splitting the parties
- Last margin
- +8.8
- Won 2024
- Elections
- 3
- 2022–2026
Source: Wikidata, congress-legislators and Open States; 99chambers legislative recordsUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET
Committees
As of 2026-10.
- Transportation · vice chair
- Local Government
- Taxation
- Water
Source: Open States committeesUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 9:43 AM ET
Legislation
Roads and Highways · Became law Apr 2026
Source: Open States billsUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:22 PM ET
Voting record
Where Essex sits in the Kansas House of Representatives
Essex is closer to the center than 74% of the chamber's Republicans.
Closest: Kevin Schwertfeger, Marty Long, Patrick Penn
Source: 99chambers roll-call scalingUpdated Nov 6, 2026, 4:50 PM ET
With Essex’s party
- Votes with the chamber's Republicans95%
Black tick: the average of Republicans in the Kansas House of Representatives.
Source: 99chambers legislative scores from roll calls and cosponsorships
Key votes
Votes chosen for their effect, not their side: Essex’s vote, each party’s majority, and the result. An orange vote differs from most Republicans.
| Date | Bill | Essex | Rep. majority | Dem. majority | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 11, 2026 | HB 2763: Requiring school districts to provide elementary students with a certain amount of daily… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 74–47 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and reconciling… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 78–44 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | HB 2111: Senate Substitute for HB 2111 by Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources -… | No | Yes | No | Passed 71–49 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | HB 2515: Establishing the Kansas legal tender act and providing for an income tax subtraction… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 76–44 |
| Apr 10, 2026 | HB 2043: Providing a protest petition to contest certain increases in property tax revenues and… | Yes | Yes | No | Passed 87–35 |
Source: 99chambers key votes from Congress.gov, Voteview and Open States roll calls
Career
Offices held, and every time Essex was on a ballot. Filled marks are general elections won; hollow marks are primaries; an orange outline is a loss.
Source: 99chambers results archive (MEDSL, Klarner, state election offices)
Elections
Margin against the seat’s presidential baseline: how the seat voted for president in the same or nearest year.
| Year | Race | Result | Margin | Seat | +/− |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kansas House of Representatives, District 78 | Counting | D+7.0 | R+1.8 | −8.8 |
| 2024 | Kansas House of Representatives, District 78 | Won | R+8.8 | R+1.8 | +7.0 |
| 2022 | Kansas House of Representatives, District 78 | Won | R+7.0 | R+3.1 | +3.9 |
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)Updated Nov 8, 2026, 7:01 PM ET
Campaign money, 2025–26
- Raised
- $58.8K
- Spent
- $25.6K
- Cash
- $59.5K
Source: Kansas Public Disclosure Commission filings through Oct 22, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 8:29 AM ET
Campaign committees
Open committees can still raise and spend money.
| Robyn Essex State | Active |
Source: Kansas Public Disclosure Commission filings through Oct 22, 2026Updated Nov 1, 2026, 8:29 AM ET
Seats Essex has held
- Kansas House of Representatives, District 78 · since 2022
Source: 99chambers results archive
Who Essex has run against
- Tim Lundberg (D) · 2026 election
- Daniel Goodman (D) · 2024 election, won
- W. Michael Shimeall (D) · 2022 election, won
Source: 99chambers results archive; 2026: civicAPI (unofficial)
How we know Essex
One person, matched across every source we use.
- Open States ocd-person/d034154f-ba03-4c97-ac96-c4023968f9b3
- Wikidata Q122053106
Source: Identity links: Wikidata, congress-legislators, Open States, FECUpdated Oct 27, 2026, 1:52 PM ET