Phil Hermanson (born February 28, 1965) is an American politician and former 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 craftin ...

for District 96 (2008-2012) and 98, serving from 2008 to 2012. He is a Republican. His districts included southwest

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

. He resigned in 2013.

Early life, education, and career

Hermanson is a lifelong resident of Wichita, Kansas. After graduating Goddard High School, five miles from Wichita, Kansas, he joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

and served as a deep sea diver from 1983 to 1990. While in the military, Hermanson attended the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

and pursued his bachelor's degree in business.

Kansas Legislature

2008 election

On November 4, 2008, Hermanson was elected to the 96th District Seat in the Kansas House of Representatives to represent the southern district of Wichita, Kansas, defeating Terry McLachlan (D). Hermanson raised $18,340 for his campaign, while McLachlan raised $43,623. ;Kansas House of Representatives, District 96

2010 election

Hermanson won re-election to represent southern Wichita, Kansas for the 96th District seat against Brandon Whipple (D). Hermanson had no opposition in the GOP primary. The general election took place on November 2, 2010, in Wichita, Kansas. Kansas House of Representatives, District 96 General Election (2010)

2012 redistricting

The U.S. Census counts every resident in the United States. It is mandated by Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution and takes place every 10 years. The data collected by the decennial census determine the number of seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives and is also used to distribute billions in federal funds to local communities. Census data is also used to redistrict state legislative internal boundaries or districts. Through this process, Phil no longer represented the 96th District, but was now to represent the 98th District.

2012 election

Hermanson won re-election to represent southern Wichita, Kansas for the 98th District seat against Geraldine Flaharty (D). The general election took place on November 6, 2012, in Wichita, Kansas. Kansas House of Representatives, District 98 General Election (2012)

Committee assignments

Committee assignments for 2009-2010 * Kansas House Commerce and Labor Company * Kansas House Financial Institutions Committee * Kansas House Health and Human Services Committee * Kansas House Insurance Committee Committee assignments for 2011-2012 * Kansas House Energy and Utilities Committee * Kansas House Financial Institutions Committee * Kansas House Health and Human Services Committee * Kansas House Insurance Committee, Vice Chair Joint committee assignments for 2011-2012 * Joint House Committee for Tribal Relations * Joint House Committee for Special Claims Against the State

Donations

The top 5 donors to Hermanson's 2012 campaign: # U.S. Chamber of Commerce # Berkshire Hathaway # Kansas Bankers Association #

National Association of Realtors The National Association of Realtors (NAR) is an American trade association for those who work in the real estate industry. it had over 1.5 million members, making it the largest trade association in the United States including NAR's institute ...

# American Dental Association The top 5 donors to Hermanson's 2010 campaign: #

Koch Industries Koch, Inc. () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate corporation based in Wichita, Kansas, and is the second-largest privately held company in the United States, after Cargill. Its subsidiarie ...

# U.S. Chamber of Commerce # Kansas Medical Society # Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation

Controversy and resignation

On May 26, 2010, Hermanson was found guilty of

DUI Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether recreational or ...

resulting from a November 2009 incident in Wichita. He pleaded no contest. On July 8, 2010, he was sentenced to one-year probation for driving under the influence of prescription drugs. Additionally, was ordered to pay a $500 fine and court costs. He paid the fine within 30 days of the order, and completed his probation successfully. On May 16, 2012, the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission fined Hermanson's treasurer $500 for failing to provide documentation for $3700 in expenditures by the 2010 campaign. Hermanson was appointed Director of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KanCare) but was not confirmed by the State Senate. Questions were raised about his recent bankruptcy, unpaid taxes and a DUI conviction, as well as general competency for the job since he did not have a background in either law or insurance. He resigned after only a few months. (2014)

References

External links

Kansas Legislature - Phil Hermanson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hermanson, Phil Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives Living people 1965 births 21st-century members of the Kansas Legislature