CHANUTE — Jerry Williams, Chanute Democrat, announced last week he would not seek re-election to the Kansas House of Representatives.
Williams is in his 12th year representing District 8, made up of Neosho County and parts of Crawford and Labette counties.
Redistricting maps — a statutory result of the 2012 federal census — being considered for the Legislature would split Neosho County.
A proposal discussed last week would put the west half of Neosho County, including Chanute, into the 13th District with Wilson County, represented by Forrest Knox, Altoona Republican. The east part, including Erie, would go into the Second District, with southern Bourbon and Crawford counties. Bob Grant, Cherokee Democrat, represents the Second District.
However, new districts have not been decided.
Williams told the Chanute Tribune that after 12 years in the Legislature he was ready to retire from public life. Previous to being elected to the House, Williams was a Chanute and Neosho County commissioner. He also worked in education and spent 30 years in health care as a hospital administrator and executive director of the Southeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging.
