Anderson, Kuhn enter Douglas County District 5 race on affordability, trust

Erica Anderson and Kirsten Kuhn became the first declared candidates for Douglas County Commission District 5, and the race quickly settled into a debate over property taxes, housing costs and whether county government is spending residents’ money wisely.

District 5 reaches a small portion of south Lawrence, southern Wakarusa Township, Baldwin City and Palmyra Township, putting city neighborhoods and rural voters in the same commission contest. That mix matters in Douglas County, Kansas’s fifth-most populous county, where the population estimate reached 120,920 on July 1, 2025, up from 118,785 in the 2020 census. The county covers 455.77 square miles and includes Baldwin City, Eudora, Lawrence and Lecompton.

Anderson, the Democratic incumbent, first won the seat in 2024, when the newly created district sent her and Gene Dorsey to the commission. Anderson and Dorsey were sworn in on January 13, 2025. Her official county biography says she has lived in Douglas County for more than 40 years, holds degrees in business administration, public affairs and public health, and raised two children in Baldwin City with her husband, Dustin Rothwell. Her work history includes Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health, Humana, Tobacco Free Kansas and Kaiser Permanente.

Anderson said she wants county decision-making to be more transparent and accountable. She argued that the same concerns from her 2024 campaign still define the district now: affordability, trust in government and whether residents feel represented in county decisions. She pointed to a cluster of pressures, including rising property valuations, tax burdens, utility costs, housing supply constraints and job opportunities. Her priorities include expanding housing supply, addressing high utility costs, preventing displacement and pushing state-level changes to strengthen behavioral health while directing public funding first to Douglas County organizations.

Kuhn, a Libertarian and 13-year Douglas County resident originally from Wisconsin, is entering the race with a different message but the same core theme of affordability. She founded and leads the Douglas County Community Bail Fund, served two terms as the consumer representative on the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center Governing Board, chaired the Douglas County Libertarians for five years and took part in the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. Kuhn said she is running to confront affordability challenges, especially for first-time homebuyers, and to address high property taxes.

The timing gives the contest added weight. County commissioners approved a 2025 budget of roughly $201 million to $206 million, depending on the reporting, and cut the mill levy from 44.209 mills to 41.298 mills. Even so, higher valuations still left many property owners facing larger tax bills. Douglas County’s median owner-occupied home value was $309,400, and median gross rent was $1,099, figures that help explain why housing and taxes are already driving the 2026 debate. The filing deadline for county candidates is noon on June 1, and the primary-election registration deadline is July 14, leaving room for the field to grow before District 5 hardens into a full campaign.