Anthony Hensley
{{short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Anthony Hensley
|office = Minority Leader of the Kansas Senate
|term_start = January 8, 1996
|term_end = January 11, 2021
|predecessor =
|successor = Dinah Sykes
|state_senate1 = Kansas
|district1 = 19th
|term_start1 = January 11, 1993
|term_end1 = January 11, 2021
|predecessor1 = Nancy Parrish
|successor1 = Rick Kloos
|state_house2 = Kansas
|district2 = 58th
|term_start2 = January 10, 1977
|term_end2 = January 11, 1993
|predecessor2 = William Kenneth Marshall
|successor2 = Richard M. Nichols
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|9|2}}
|birth_place = Topeka, Kansas, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = Democratic
|spouse = Deborah Hensley
|children = 1
|education = Washburn University (BA)
Kansas State University (MA)
|website = {{url|anthonyhensley.com|Official website}}
}}
Anthony Hensley (born September 2, 1953) is a former Democratic member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 19th district since 1992. He was the Minority Leader from 1996 through 2021 and has also been a committeeman of the Democratic Precinct since 1976. In 1992, he was the Majority Whip. From 1977 to 1992, he was a Representative. In 1991 and 1992, he was the chairman of the 2nd District Democratic Committee and from 1981 to 1986, he was the chairman of the Shawnee County Democratic Central Committee.{{citation needed|date=October 2015}} On November 3, 2020, he was defeated in his re-election campaign by Republican Rick Kloos.
2020 Kansas 19th Senate district campaign
Hensley's opponent Kloos ran unchallenged in the GOP primary where he received 6,758 votes in the primary, while Hensley had 5,269,[https://ballotpedia.org/Anthony_Hensley Anthony Hensley], [Ballotpedia]. Retrieved August 8, 2022. who also ran unopposed.Feuerborn, Mark. [https://www.ksnt.com/elections/topeka-thrift-store-founder-ends-state-democrat-leader-hensleys-27-year-tenure/ Topeka thrift store founder ends state Democrat leader Hensley’s 27-year tenure], KSNT-TV Channel 27, Topeka, Kansas, November 4, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2021. Kloos beat Hensley 16,141 votes to 15,383 votes, 51% to 49%, on the November 3, 2020 general election—in what Titus Wu of the Topeka Capitol-Journal called "a huge upset victory".[https://www.ksnt.com/electionresults/ Election Results], KSNT-TV Channel 27, Topeka, Kansas, November 6, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2021. Kloos is pro-life and was endorsed by Kansans for Life.Carpenter, Tim. [https://hayspost.com/posts/0aa73c4e-6fae-46cd-a9b4-597442b41999 Ill-fated campaign for Kan. governor guides shocking run against icon Hensley], Hays Post, Eagle Communications, November 4, 2020. Retrieved June 14, 2021. Hensley had represented the area for 44 years as either the state representative or state senator.[https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Kloos Rick Kloos], Ballotpedia. Retrieved June 14, 2021. The Kloos campaign outspent Hensley $37,433 to $1,286.[https://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=44000991 Anthony Hensley], OpenSecrets. Retrieved June 14, 2021.Wu, Titus.[https://www.cjonline.com/news/20201104/rick-kloos-pulls-upset-win-over-anthony-hensley-gop-sweeps-topekarsquos-kansas-senate-races Rick Kloos pulls upset win over Anthony Hensley; GOP sweeps Topeka’s Kansas Senate races], Topeka Capitol-Journal, November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.
Personal life
Hensley graduated from Washburn University in 1975 and later received his master's degree in special education from Kansas State University. He then taught special education at Topeka's Capital City School until 2011. Hensley teaches government and political affairs to high school students within the Topeka area.{{cite web|title=About Anthony Hensley |url=http://www.anthonyhensley.com/about-anthony-hensley/ |website=Anthony Hensley, State Senator |publisher=Hensley for Senate |access-date=20 October 2015 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Committee assignments
Hensley served on the following legislative committees:{{cite web|title=Senator Anthony Hensley - Senate Minority Leader|url=http://kslegislature.org/li/b2015_16/members/sen_hensley_anthony_1/|website=Kansas State Legislature 2015-2016|publisher=Kansas Legislative Information System and Services|access-date=20 October 2015}}
{{div col}}
- 2015 Special Committee on K-12 Student Success
- Assessment and Taxation
- Confirmation Oversight (Vice-chair)
- Education (Ranking minority member)
- Interstate Cooperation (Ranking minority member)
- Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments, and Benefits
- Legislative Coordinating Council
- Legislative Post Audit Committee
- Senate Select Committee on KPERS (Ranking minority member)
- Transportation
{{div col end}}
Major donors
Some of the top contributors to Hensley's 2008 campaign, according to OpenSecrets:[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=108007 Anthony Hensley 2008 campaign contributions]
: Kansas Democratic Party, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas Association of Realtors, Kansas Credit Union Association, Kansas Dental Association
Political parties were his largest donor group.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20090629230337/http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-senate/searchSenate.do?rep=4468 Kansas Senate]
- [http://www.votesmart.org/summary.php?can_id=6898 Project Vote Smart profile]
- Follow the Money campaign contributions
- [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=31540 1996], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=31881 1998], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=32184 2000], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=73530 2002], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=74088 2004], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=83021 2006], [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=108007 2008]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hensley, Anthony}}
Category:21st-century members of the Kansas Legislature
Category:Democratic Party Kansas state senators
Category:Kansas State University alumni
Category:Democratic Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives
Category:Politicians from Topeka, Kansas