Nonpartisan · Hays Mayor; Hays City Commissioner
Sources for Mason Ruder
21 public sources used in researching this candidate. Every claim in the profile traces back to one or more of these URLs.
5
primary
15
secondary
1
social
Primary Records
5 sources- Mason Ruder appeared on the HB 2433 testimony register as a proponent on January 28, 2026
- Mason Ruder appeared on the HB 2433 testimony register as a proponent on February 26, 2026
- Kansas Legislature HB 2433 testimony listing (https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/HB2433/testimony) — PRIMARY
- Ruder submitted written testimony to the House Local Government Committee on January 28, 2026
- The testimony argued that Edwards County zoning restrictions created a second regulatory process for the R9 Ranch transfer
- https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_h_loc_govt_1/documents/testimony/20260128_05.pdf — Ruder's submitted testimony PDF (primary; image-scan but URL provenance is official)
- Ruder submitted Senate committee testimony on HB 2433 on February 26, 2026
- https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_local_government_transparency_and_ethics_1/documents/testimony/20260226_16.pdf — Senate testimony PDF #1 (primary)
- https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_local_government_transparency_and_ethics_1/documents/testimony/20260226_16.pdf — Ruder Senate testimony PDF #1
- A second Ruder Senate testimony file is registered for the February 26, 2026 HB 2433 hearing
- https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_local_government_transparency_and_ethics_1/documents/testimony/20260226_24.pdf — Senate testimony PDF #2 (primary)
- https://www.kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/committees/ctte_s_local_government_transparency_and_ethics_1/documents/testimony/20260226_24.pdf — Ruder Senate testimony PDF #2
- The commission selected Mason Ruder as mayor and Alaina Cunningham as vice-mayor
- https://www.haysusa.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_01082026-1589 — Jan 8, 2026 reorganization minutes (primary)
Reporting and Public Context
15 sources- Ruder was quoted in 2023 saying every day is now an R9 Ranch Day
- Hays Post: R9 delays costing millions
- Water security is his most consistent policy lane. Ruder has described the R9 Ranch project as an everyday governing priority and later as a "multi-generational battle." In 2026, during the HB 2433 fight over county ver...
- Ruder called the R9 dispute a multi-generational battle in 2025 coverage
- The project cost was reported at $144.9 million in the same coverage
- Hays Post - R9 pipeline update
- Ruder was selected by the commission to a second one-year mayoral term
- Ruder thanked Sandy Jacobs for collaborative leadership
- https://tigermedianet.com/?p=93385 — Tiger Media Network (entire commission voted; second mayoral term)
- Open
Kansas Press Association · 2026-05-20
Forgetting the lesson of 9/11 is the danger we face now, says Ruderkspress.com
- KPA coverage reported Ruder's September 11, 2025 personal-comments address
- Mason Ruder 9/11 Speech -- Kansas Press Association
- KS Press: 9/11 Editorial
- Ruder warned that locally replacing an Essential Air Service subsidy cut could require a major city mill-levy increase
- https://hayspost.com/posts/2730c5cd-1026-4098-9e5f-ebf15c8fd949 — Essential Air Service / mill levy
- 2025 airport funding: Ruder said replacing a federal Essential Air Service subsidy cut would require a mill levy increase from 25 to 44 mills. Source: Hays Post, May 24, 2025.
- Ruder was the top vote-getter in the 2023 Hays City Commission race
- Ruder received 2,199 votes, or 31.32 percent
- Ruder said city decisions affect residents almost immediately
- Ruder also presents himself through faith, family, and Hays institutional life. TMP-Marian's profile announcing him as Hays Catholic Schools advancement director quotes him saying the role would help his "community, my...
- UM-2 — Hays Catholic Schools Director of Institutional Advancement (Nov 2022–present). Quoted in TMP-Marian announcement saying the role would help his "community, my school, my family" (https://www.tmp-m.org/o/tmpm/art...
- 2022 Hays Catholic Schools role: Ruder said joining Hays Catholic Schools was a way to help his community, school, and family, and said his Catholic-community relationships would be an asset. Source: [TMP-Marian, Nov. 3...
- HaysPost: NWester - Support for Catholic education alive, well in Ellis County
- 2024 Catholic education fundraising: Ruder said TMP-Marian was blessed by alumni and community generosity, including donors who did not attend the school, and described carrying forward earlier generations' work as a pr...
- Hays Post - Catholic education/ACE auction
- UM-6 — Vacant-land valuation / marijuana-tax remark (Dec 20, 2025). Ruder said Kansas' vacant-land valuation structure makes it cheaper to hold land than build and suggested marijuana tax revenue could offset property t...
- https://hayspost.com/posts/31a9d9f8-0883-480f-aada-22ac084f09b9 — Vacant land / marijuana tax remarks
- 2025 property tax discussion: Ruder said Kansas' vacant-land valuation structure incentivizes holding land rather than building, and suggested marijuana tax revenue could offset property taxes and help sales-tax-reliant...
- Mason Ruder Elected Mayor -- Hays Daily News
- HDN: Commissioners sworn in
- Hays Daily News — swearing-in — accessed 2026-03-30
- Hays Post: City Commission Candidate Mason Ruder
- Hays City Commission Candidate: Mason Ruder
- HaysPost: Hays City Commission candidate: Mason Ruder
- Tiger Media Network: Ruder elected Mayor
- Tiger Media Net — Mason Ruder elected mayor — accessed 2026-03-31
- ClustrMaps: Mason Ruder public records
- UM-7 — 2019 election-night and 2021 Municipal Park stage remarks. Mood/personality signals: residents "looking for someone who wants to listen" (2019 archive); "former band nerd" (2021 stage discussion). Sources: Hays P...
- https://archive.hayspost.com/2019/11/page/35/ — 2019 election-night
- 2019 election night: Ruder said residents were "looking for someone who wants to listen" and that the biggest thing to ask of politicians is that they listen and want to get things done. Source: [Hays Post archive, Nov....
- https://hayspost.com/posts/686c41a0-31e3-415a-8fdf-3df810e7f5be — 2023 candidate forum
- 2023 candidate forum: Ruder prioritized the R9 water transfer and said Hays should focus on partnerships with business leaders, Grow Hays, and others to grow the workforce and develop housing. Source: [Hays Post, Oct. 1...
- Hays Post - 2023 candidate forum
Public Online Activity
1 sources- LinkedIn: Mason Ruder, CPM
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/mason-ruder-cpm-1aa36455 — LinkedIn preview
- LinkedIn public profile preview - Mason Ruder, CPM
