One of the last people to file for Governor this year visited Ad Astra Radio Friday. Curt Skoog is the Mayor of Overland Park and one of three Democrats seeking to replace term-limited incumbent Laura Kelly. Skoog has worked in marketing, business development and management roles, and currently works for IBTS, which provides services for cities and counties.
With 21 years as a local elected official, a mayor for the past five, Skoog said he decided to run to provide a candidate with a “mayor’s mindset.” He said as a mayor you learn to build consensus. In a community of just over 200 thousand people with a very diverse population and building consensus is an important factor in their growth.
Skoog’s platform is based on what he calls the THRIVE Kansas Plan, which focuses on thriving communities, healthy Kansans, rural roots, innovating the future. Voice and vote, and that everyone is welcome. He said the thriving community concept encompasses “quality education, access to quality health care. Housing and affordability.”
Regarding health care, Skoog noted the struggles many rural hospitals in Kansas face. “There are 28 rural hospitals in the state that are at imminent risk of closing, which is a huge challenge for the rural part of our state,” he explained. Skoog’s Lieutenant Governor running mate, Dr Jennifer Bacani McKenny of Fredonia, is a nationally recognized leader in rural health care and she will provide considerable expertise in addressing these issues.
Rural roots focus on several things. “Agriculture is a $10 billion a year industry, and we have to support that and grow it,” Skoog explained, adding “We need to innovate for the future. If we want to grow jobs, make government more efficient, we have to continue to innovate,” which also ties into many other things. Skoog added we need to protect peoples voice and vote moving forward.
Overland Park has the lowest property tax rate among Kansas cities, which Skoog attributes to their strong economic base which includes a significant retail base many Kansas cities may not have. Property taxes were the big reason he got into the race. “We have watched the leadership of the Legislature for the last three years say that property taxes are their top priority, and they haven’t gotten anything done,” he said.
The major topic the Kansas Legislature will have to deal with in the 2027 session is develop a new school finance formula. Skoog said the one thing he’s consistently heard in his travels across Kansas is a need to fully fund public schools, and that will be a priority for him.
Prior to being elected to the Overland Park City Council Skoog was involved in the Shawnee Mission School District, which at that time was dealing with issues being felt in many districts right now. He explained “Shawnee Mission was reducing student population, it was shrinking, and I was part of a task force that looked at how do we reduce the number of buildings to meet the new student demand, so I understand the impact of reducing student body count and the impact it has on a community as well as funding.”
Another issue in the 2026 elections is data centers, which some candidates for governor have made a key part of their campaigns. In discussing this issue, Skoog said “No matter if you’re in the cab of a tractor of you’re sitting in an office you are relying on technology, and more and more of leveraging AI or other technologies to help you be more productive.”
While the need for data centers is there, Skoog said local control is key. “I don’t believe in the Legislature dictating to local communities what they can and can’t do,” he explained. Through his involvement in the League of Kansas Municipalities, other mayors and local officials have mentioned there have been a lot of robust conversations, which he said each community needs to have to determine if they have the infrastructure to support it.
One of the elements of the data center discussion is water, supply of which is an issue in western and parts of central Kansas. Skoog said he’s a big supporter of the Kansas Water Plan as a way for communities to address water impact.
He also pointed out electrical infrastructure also needs to be considered, along with how the substantial required capacity will be paid for Skoog said the cost of that needs to fall on the those putting the demand on the systems rather than on ratepayers as a whole.
In summing up why people should vote for Curt Skoog for Governor, he said he brings a unique perspective. “I don’t come from the Legislature. We’ve been living through a few years of a dysfunctional Legislature that can’t get things done for Kansas,” he said adding “We come at from a different view. We want to build consensus and priorities from Kansans to take to the Legislature instead of the Legislature driving the agenda.”
You can hear the full interview with Curt Skogg on the podcast page at adastradio.com
