Atchison County Commission races draw challengers ahead of primary, election
Filing closed with contested commissioner races in both districts, including an open District 1 seat and a District 2 race shadowed by a legal challenge.
The filing deadline closed at noon on June 1, and Atchison County commissioners will now face a contested election season that puts taxes, roads, staffing, emergency services and budgeting squarely in voters’ hands.
Atchison County’s Board of County Commissioners is a three-person elected board that serves four-year terms, with two seats on the ballot in the same cycle and the third coming up two years later. This year’s filings set up races in both District 1 and District 2, turning what could have been a routine cycle into one that will shape county government through the August primary and November general election.
In District 2, John Settich filed to challenge Republican Randell Vanderweide. Settich’s candidacy release says he has 28 years of involvement in Democratic politics and community service causes and 25 years teaching politics and government at the college level, including service as chair of political science at Benedictine College. The District 2 contest is drawing extra attention because current commissioner John Calhoon was sworn in on February 17, 2026, and a lawsuit filed by the Atchison County Attorney alleges he cannot serve at the same time as county commissioner and Jackson County undersheriff.
District 1 is also on the ballot, but the field looks different. Democrat Charles Perdue filed there, and Republican Katherine Kohler also entered the race. James Campbell, who was appointed by the Atchison County GOP in December 2024 and took office on January 13, 2025, did not file to seek election, leaving the seat open. That gives voters a direct say on who will take part in decisions that touch county operations from road work and staffing to emergency response and long-range planning.
The calendar now moves quickly. Atchison County says voter registration for the primary closed on July 14, advance voting began July 15, and the Kansas primary is set for August 4. The general election will follow on November 3. With filings complete, the practical question for county residents is no longer who might run, but which commissioners will set the county’s direction next.
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