Elected office
Kansas House of Representatives, District 46
Represented east and central Lawrence for six terms. Policy chair of the House Democratic Caucus before House Democrats chose him as minority leader in December 2008.
Independent public-record archive · Kansas
Paul Davis
Paul Davis is a Lawrence-raised attorney who represented Kansas House District 46 from 2003 to 2015 and led the House Democrats as minority leader for his last six years there. He was the Democratic nominee for governor in 2014 and for Kansas's 2nd Congressional District in 2018, and lost both races narrowly. He now works as a lawyer and registered lobbyist in Topeka.
This page summarizes his public record from published sources and takes no side. Every figure is backed on the sources page and on the detailed pages linked below.
- 12years in the Kansas House, 2003 to 2015
- 6years as House Minority Leader, 2009 to 2015
- 3.7points behind in the 2014 governor's race
- 2,239votes separated him from the 2018 winner
Quick facts
| Born | July 12, 1972, Woodland, California; raised in Lawrence, Kansas [Wikipedia] |
|---|---|
| Education | B.A., University of Kansas (1995); J.D., Washburn University School of Law (1997) [Ballotpedia] |
| Party | Democratic [Ballotpedia] |
| Kansas House | District 46 (Lawrence), January 2003 to January 2015 [Wikipedia] |
| Leadership | House Minority Leader, 2009 to 2015; elected by House Democrats on Dec. 1, 2008 [Lawrence Journal-World] |
| 2014 | Democratic nominee for governor, with Jill Docking; lost to Sam Brownback, 46.1% to 49.8% [Ballotpedia] |
| 2018 | Democratic nominee, Kansas's 2nd District; lost to Steve Watkins, 46.8% to 47.6% [Ballotpedia] |
| Status (Nov. 2026) | No public office; registered lobbyist; not a 2026 candidate as far as we could find [Kansas lobbyist directory] |
Timeline
- 1972Born in Woodland, California. He grows up in Lawrence and graduates from Lawrence High School.
- 1995B.A. in political science, University of Kansas.
- 1997J.D., Washburn University School of Law. Admitted to the Kansas bar in 1998.
- Jan. 2003Takes his seat for House District 46, covering east and central Lawrence.
- Dec. 2008House Democrats elect him minority leader, 29 to 18 over Rep. Bill Feuerborn.
- Sept. 2013Announces a run for governor against incumbent Republican Sam Brownback.
- Oct. 2013Names Wichita businesswoman Jill Docking, a former Board of Regents chair, as his running mate.
- July 2014More than 100 current and former Republican officeholders endorse him at a Topeka event.
- Nov. 4, 2014Loses to Brownback, 46.1% to 49.8%, while carrying the 2nd Congressional District.
- Jan. 2015Leaves the Legislature; returns to law practice in Lawrence.
- Aug. 15, 2017Launches a campaign for the open 2nd District U.S. House seat in Topeka.
- Nov. 6, 2018Loses to Republican Steve Watkins by 2,239 votes.
- Dec. 2020Registers as a lobbyist at the Kansas Statehouse.
- 2026Listed in the state lobbyist directory; not on any 2026 primary ballot we checked.
Office held and nominations
Nomination · 2014
Governor of Kansas
Challenged incumbent Republican Sam Brownback, campaigning on school funding and the 2012 income tax cuts. Endorsed by more than 100 current and former Republican officeholders.
Nomination · 2018
U.S. House, Kansas's 2nd District
Ran for the seat Lynn Jenkins left open, pledging not to back Nancy Pelosi for leader. One of the year's closest House races; outside groups spent millions on both sides.
Election results
| Year | Office | Stage | Davis | Result | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Kansas House, District 46 | General | 100% | Won | Unopposed (8,920 votes) |
| 2010 | Kansas House, District 46 | General | 100% | Won | Unopposed |
| 2012 | Kansas House, District 46 | General | 100% | Won | Unopposed |
| 2014 | Governor (with Jill Docking) | General | 46.1% | Lost | Sam Brownback (R) 49.8%, Keen Umbehr (L) 4.0% |
| 2018 | U.S. House, KS-02 | Democratic primary | 100% | Won | Unopposed (38,846 votes) |
| 2018 | U.S. House, KS-02 | General | 46.8% | Lost | Steve Watkins (R) 47.6%, Kelly Standley (L) 5.6% |
Results from Ballotpedia's tables of certified results. Ballotpedia also records House wins in 2004 and 2006 without vote totals; see the elections page for every race in detail.
Stated positions by topic
Each topic page sets out what Davis said, when and where, alongside his recorded votes in the Kansas House and what his opponents argued. The addresses are the ones his 2018 campaign used for its issue pages.
Campaign archive index
Links to this domain's old campaign posts still circulate. Each of those addresses now opens an archive note: the date, what was announced, what news outlets reported and how things turned out. Campaign text, logos and photos are not reproduced.
2017-2018 congressional campaign
- October 2018October 2018: What the Davis-Watkins debates revealed
- October 2018October 2018: The candidates face off at a forum in Independence
- September 20, 2018: KSNT asks the candidates about tariffs
- September 17, 2018: Three dozen Republicans endorse Davis
- August 2018: Police and firefighter unions endorse Davis
- June 27, 2018: The Mellman Group's poll memo for the Davis campaign
- April 2018April 2018: Davis campaign passes $1 million raised
- January 2018January 2018: Davis reports more than $330,000 in the fourth quarter
- December 2017: 'Davis looks to build on 2014 showing'
- October 2017: Davis reports $400,000 raised in 45 days
- August 2017August 2017: The case for running in the 2nd District
2013-2014 campaign for governor
- 2014 (exact date not known)2014: Advertising aimed at Davis, and how it was answered
- 2014 (exact date not known)2014: The Davis campaign's television ads
- 2014 campaign2014: Davis and Kansas educators
- 2014 campaign2014: The 'restore' platform for governor
- October 22, 2013: Davis names Jill Docking as running mate
On X (Twitter)
@PaulDavisKS is the account Ballotpedia lists as Paul Davis's on X, and the handle printed on his 2014 campaign literature. We could not confirm whether it is still active as of November 8, 2026. This archive is not that account and has no connection to it or to Davis.
Checking a claim you saw on X
- Find the date. Posts from 2014 and 2018 recirculate without context.
- Look for a primary record: official results, FEC filings, legislative journals.
- Compare two outlets that cover Kansas politics directly.
- Check whether an ad claim was fact-checked; at least one major ad was.
Sources
Facts on this site come from Kansas election results as compiled by Ballotpedia, Federal Election Commission filings, the Kansas lobbyist directory, and reporting by the Lawrence Journal-World, the Kansas News Service (KCUR, KMUW, Kansas Public Radio), WIBW, KSNT, the Topeka Capital-Journal, PolitiFact and the Associated Press. The sources page lists each one with a link. Read how we work or ask for a correction.
Common questions
Is this Paul Davis's campaign website?
No. davisforkansas.com was used by Paul Davis's campaigns for governor (2013-2014) and for Congress (2017-2018). The domain later changed hands and now hosts this independent archive. We are not affiliated with Paul Davis, any campaign, party or committee, and we do not ask anyone to vote, donate or volunteer.
Is Paul Davis running for office in 2026?
We found no record of him as a candidate in Kansas's 2026 elections; he does not appear among the August 4, 2026 primary candidates for governor, U.S. Senate or U.S. House. He holds no public office and is listed in the state's 2026 lobbyist directory. Last checked November 8, 2026.
What offices has Paul Davis held?
One elected office: state representative for Kansas House District 46, in Lawrence, from January 2003 to January 2015. His House Democratic colleagues elected him minority leader in December 2008, and he held that post from 2009 until he left the House in 2015.
How close were his statewide and congressional races?
In 2014 he lost the governor's race to incumbent Sam Brownback, 46.1 percent to 49.8 percent. In 2018 he lost the open 2nd District U.S. House seat to Republican Steve Watkins by 2,239 votes, 46.8 percent to 47.6 percent, with Libertarian Kelly Standley at 5.6 percent.
Can you pass a message to Paul Davis?
No. We have no contact with him or with any campaign, and we cannot forward messages. Use our contact address only for questions or corrections about this site.