Does Kansas’ SB 105 allow appointed senators to serve until the next general election?

If a Kansan U.S. Senate seat is vacated, the governor may appoint a replacement to serve until the next general election. 

While the Kansas governor was previously allowed to appoint any qualified successor, SB 105 — which was enacted in April 2025 — requires a legislative committee to prepare a slate of three candidates from the same party as the predecessor for the governor to choose from. 

A handful of states, including Hawaii, Maryland and Wyoming, use a similar system for filling senate vacancies. 

If a vacancy occurs on or after May 1 in an election year, SB 105 permits the appointed senator to serve until the next congressional election, two years later. 

Other states, including California and Virginia, also allow appointed senators to serve an additional two years if their predecessor vacates their seat shortly before a general election.