Republican · Current Kansas State Board of Education District 5 member/chair; not confirmed filed for 2026
Sources for Cathy Hopkins
23 public sources used in researching this candidate. Every claim in the profile traces back to one or more of these URLs.
15
primary
8
secondary
Primary Records
15 sources- The State Board oversees public K-12 education, standards, licensure, accreditation, and commissioner appointment
- Cathy Hopkins is current State Board chair and District 5 representative
- Hopkins is listed as chair and legislative liaison
- Years of service on the board are 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026
- Committee assignments include Coordinating Council, Professional Standards Board Liaison, Teacher Vacancy and Supply Committee, and Governor's Education Council
- Cathy Hopkins defeated Jean Clifford in the 2022 Republican primary for State Board District 5, 28,514 to 23,475
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Kansas Secretary of State / Kansas Register · 2026-05-19
Certificate of Election for the General Election, November 8, 2022sos.ks.gov
- State Board of Canvassers certified Cathy Hopkins, Hays, Republican, as Member, State Board of Education District 5
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Kansas State Department of Education · 2026-05-19
Kansas State Board of Education receives update on structured literacy licensure requirementsksde.gov
- Board received update on structured-literacy licensure requirements
- Board members elected Cathy Hopkins as chair for 2025-2026
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Kansas State Department of Education · 2026-05-19
Spotlight on literacy highlights ongoing work, investment needed to improve Kansas children's reading successksde.gov
- KSDE described literacy initiatives aligned to science of reading and structured literacy
- Hopkins was quoted as chair during literacy day event
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Kansas State Department of Education · 2026-05-19
State Board begins process of searching for a new education commissionerksde.gov
- Board voted to form commissioner-search subcommittee including Hopkins, Danny Zeck, and Michelle Dombrosky
- Hopkins discussed search-firm and full-board selection process
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Kansas State Department of Education · 2026-05-19
Kansas State Board of Education names finalists for commissioner of educationksde.gov
- KSDE announced finalists for commissioner of education
- KSDE quoted State Board Chair Cathy Hopkins in the finalist announcement
- Hopkins and Beryl New, State Board legislative liaisons, said the State Board voted to prioritize only using public funds for public schools in 2026 legislative priorities
- The liaisons said HB 2468 was counter to that priority
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Kansas Legislature / State Board legislative liaisons · 2026-05-19
Proponent Testimony for HB 2129kslegislature.gov
- Hopkins and Danny Zeck supported HB 2129 as aligned with State Board priority to move Kansas school employees from KPERS 3 to KPERS 2
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Kansas Legislature / State Board legislative liaisons · 2026-05-19
Proponent Testimony for HB 2194kslegislature.gov
- Hopkins and Danny Zeck supported HB 2194 as aligned with reducing wait time and financial penalties for retired teachers returning to work
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Kansas Public Disclosure Commission / Kansas.gov · 2026-05-19
Kansas State Board of Education Odd Numbered Districts 2022 Election Cyclekansas.gov
- Lists Hopkins 2022 State Board District 5 campaign-finance reports
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Kansas Public Disclosure Commission / Kansas.gov · 2026-05-19
Campaign Finance Receipts and Expenditures Report - Cathy A. Hopkins 202207kansas.gov
- 2022 pre-primary period shows $3,855.00 receipts, $2,870.76 expenditures, and $984.24 closing cash
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Kansas Public Disclosure Commission / Kansas.gov · 2026-05-19
Campaign Finance Receipts and Expenditures Report - Cathy A. Hopkins 202210kansas.gov
- 2022 pre-general period shows $13,210.00 receipts, $13,591.86 expenditures, $602.38 closing cash, and $1,783.58 in-kind contributions
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Kansas Public Disclosure Commission / Kansas.gov · 2026-05-19
Campaign Finance Receipts and Expenditures Report - Cathy A. Hopkins 202301kansas.gov
- 2022 post-general report shows no new receipts or expenditures and $602.38 cash on hand
Reporting and Public Context
8 sources- Open
KMUW / Kansas News Service · 2026-05-19
Kansas BOE names Jake Steel as state's next education commissionerkmuw.org
- State Board selected Jake Steel as next commissioner
- Seven of ten board members supported Steel; Michelle Dombrosky voted no and Debby Potter and Connie O'Brien did not vote
- Hopkins was quoted in release statement on Steel
- 2022 candidate profile and questionnaire archive for Hopkins
- Questionnaire includes dated positions on local control, Common Core, parental opt-in, school safety, health mandates, and faith self-description
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Hays Post / Kansas Reflector · 2026-05-19
KS Board of Education's conservative wing emphasizes desire to focus on core subjectshayspost.com
- Reports Hopkins discussed streamlining state-board mandates and focusing on reading and writing
- Hays Post: KS Board of Education conservative wing
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The Pitch / Kansas Reflector · 2026-05-19
Kansas State Board of Education establishes four priorities heading into 2024 election cyclethepitchkc.com
- Reports Hopkins said regulatory mandates and paperwork burdened districts with modest staffing
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The Sentinel / Kansas Policy Institute · 2026-05-19
Seven members of Kansas Board of Education vote to reduce proficiency standardssentinelksmo.org
- Reports State Board voted 7-3 to accept new proficiency standards
- Reports Hopkins supported the standards and disputed that standards or rigor were being lowered
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The Lawrence Times / Kansas Reflector · 2026-05-19
Kansas legislators hear divided testimony on proposed school cellphone banlawrencekstimes.com
- Reports Hopkins and Beryl New testified neutrally on a proposed statewide cellphone ban and pointed to local policy-making
- https://www.change.org/decision-makers/cathy-hopkins-kansas-state-board-of-education-district-5
- Ballotpedia: Cathy Hopkins
