Nikki McDonald

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Nikki McDonald
Image of Nikki McDonald

Democratic Party

Kansas House of Representatives District 49
Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

1

Predecessor

Compensation

Base salary

$86.66/session day

Per diem

$166/day

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Appointed

December 18, 2023

Education

Bachelor's

University of Arkansas, 1997

Graduate

University of Arkansas, 1998

Personal
Birthplace
Little Rock, Ark.
Religion
Unitarian Universalist
Profession
Consultant
Contact

Official website

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Nikki McDonald (Democratic Party) is a member of the Kansas House of Representatives, representing District 49. She assumed office on December 20, 2023. Her current term ends on January 11, 2027.

McDonald (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Kansas House of Representatives to represent District 49. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

McDonald completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

The Democratic Party of Kansas appointed McDonald to District 49 on December 18, 2023, to replace Brad Boyd (D) and was sworn in on December 20, 2023.[1]

Biography

Nikki McDonald was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Arkansas in 1997 and a graduate degree from the University of Arkansas in 1998. Her career experience includes working as a consultant. She previously worked as a teacher and as the founder/executive director/president of Olathe Public Education Network.[2]

McDonald has been affiliated with the following organizations:[3]

  • Project 10/20 Emergency Homeless Shelter
  • Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church
  • Johnson County Mental Health Advisory Board
  • At large-member of Olathe NW Engineering Academy Booster Club
  • Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild
  • Greater Kansas City Orchid Society
  • PSN Olathe Knitting Group

Elections

2024

See also: Kansas House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Kansas House of Representatives District 49

Incumbent Nikki McDonald defeated Kurtis Ruf in the general election for Kansas House of Representatives District 49 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Nikki McDonald
Nikki McDonald (D) Candidate Connection
 
50.6
 
6,305
Image of Kurtis Ruf
Kurtis Ruf (R) Candidate Connection
 
49.4
 
6,157

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 12,462
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 49

Incumbent Nikki McDonald advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 49 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Nikki McDonald
Nikki McDonald Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,083

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,083
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 49

Kurtis Ruf advanced from the Republican primary for Kansas House of Representatives District 49 on August 6, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Kurtis Ruf
Kurtis Ruf Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,299

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,299
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

McDonald received the following endorsements.

  • Stand Up Blue Valley

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

Nikki McDonald completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by McDonald's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1997 with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and in 1998 with a Masters in the Art of Teaching with an emphasis in Early Childhood Development. I moved from NW Arkansas to Kansas House District 49 in 2003 with my husband, Patrick. After teaching first grade and English Language Learners (ELL) in Arkansas, I obtained a teaching position in Olathe working with elementary ELL students at Fairview Elementary. In 2005, I pressed pause on my career to begin a family. Our two sons have attended Olathe Public Schools since their early childhood years and are currently students at Olathe Northwest High School. I've spent the past 7 years becoming more involved with community organizing and public education advocacy work. In my spare time, I've worked to help elect others who share my values. When my representative in the KS House stepped down, I was chosen by my fellow precinct leaders to fill the vacancy. I am running as an incumbent for the 2024 election season as I complete the second half of this 2023/24 term. I believe firmly that we should all strive to grow where we are planted and make our community a better place. I am happy to do my part to ensure that we continue to enjoy living in a safe area with exceptional public schools and economic opportunities for us all.
  • As a former teacher, special needs parent, public education advocate and community organizer, I will be a voice in Topeka advocating for our strong public schools.
  • I have a strong commitment to work to improve access to quality mental health resources for our residents of all ages.
  • It is imperative that we find solutions for rising property taxes. Too many residents are being priced out of their homes & this is unacceptable.
My area of greatest knowledge and interest is public school education policy. It's clear that strong public schools drive strong local economies. Our local public schools are exemplary & I will always advocate on their behalf.
Governor Laura Kelly is a great role model for finding common ground & governing in a pragmatic way. I hope to emulate her methods of reaching across the aisle to find solutions that improve the lives of everyday Kansans.
N/A
I am curious, tenacious, driven, empathetic and hard-working.
It is vitally important that a representative understand the will of the voters in their district. I have knocked MANY doors each cycle in House District 49 over the past several years & I have a unique insight into the priorities of my constituents. It falls to me to vote in a way that best reflects their wishes.
A legacy of kindness and compassion.
N/A
N/A
I enjoy books written by David Seders because of his lighthearted approach to writing memoirs about his life.
Nothing comes to mind
Nothing comes to mind.
During college I was a nontraditional student. Taking on full-time classes & several part-time jobs was difficult, but I stayed with it and eventually my hard work paid off.
I appreciate that US Representatives come from all types of professions & walks of life, each bringing with them their own knowledge and experiences.
No. I think government should be "of the people". Previous experience should not be required.
Tribalism/Extremism
No. I believe it takes some time to learn the processes involved in governing and creating laws.
I am open to the argument for a need to have term limits.
Again, Governor Laura Kelly is inspirational & has led Kansas through difficult times with skill and compassion.
I've met with constituents who have worked in various areas of service to the public, from veterans to law enforcement officers, firemen, teachers, nurses, doctors and more. Their willingness to sacrifice to make our community a better place is always touching.
Nothing comes to mind
Yes, both necessary and desirable.
A budget is a reflection of our priorities. I would make sure that our budget actually prioritizes funding the things that matter most to our community. As a representative, I take this responsibility very seriously.
My focus primarily has been on local and state government. To a limited degree I understand that the US House has subpoena and investigative powers. However, as an elected official in STATE government, this question really does not impact my work.
N/A

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Nikki McDonald campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Kansas House of Representatives District 49Won general$32,931 $0
Grand total$32,931 $0
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Kansas

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Kansas scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024


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External links

Candidate

Kansas House of Representatives District 49
  • Website
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    		•

    Officeholder

    Kansas House of Representatives District 49
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    Personal

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    Footnotes

    1. ↑ State Affairs Pro, "Olathe political organizer McDonald sworn in to replace Boyd in House," December 20, 2023
    2. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 20, 2024
    3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named bio

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    Brad Boyd (D)     		Kansas House of Representatives District 49
    2023-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -


    Current members of the Kansas House of Representatives
    Leadership
    Speaker of the House:Daniel Hawkins
    Majority Leader:Chris Croft
    Minority Leader:Brandon Woodard
    Representatives
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    Rui Xu (D)
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