Craig Bowser | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Bowser in 2009 | |
| Member of theKansas Senate from the1st district | |
| Assumed office January 13, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Dennis Pyle |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Warrensburg, Missouri, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Erin |
| Education | Emporia State University (B) Washburn University (MBA) Henley-Putnam School of Strategic Security (PhD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch | United States Army |
| Service years | 1991-2015 |
| Unit | U.S. Army Reserve |
| Awards | |
Craig Bowser is an American politician serving as a member of theKansas Senate from the1st district.
Bowser was born inWarrensburg, Missouri, and raised by asingle mother on a ranch nearHolton, Kansas. After graduating fromHolton High School, he earned abachelor’s degree fromEmporia State University and anMBA fromWashburn University. After leaving theU.S. Army Reserves, Bowser used hisG.I. Bill to earn hisdoctorate in strategic security from theHenley-Putnam School of Strategic Security.[1]
Bowser served in theU.S. Army Reserves from 1991 to 2015 as acivil affairs officer and helped facilitate elections inIraq in 2005. He was awarded theMeritorious Honor Award from theU.S. Department of State during one of his combat tours.[1]
In 2018,governorJeff Colyer appointed Bowser to the Kansas Commission on Emergency Planning and Response. He served as CEO of SAVE Farms, a nonprofit farm based inManhattan training veterans foragribusiness careers.[1]
He currently works for theState of Kansas as aninformation security officer. In 2023, emails surrounding the2023 police raid of theMarion County Record showed Bowser was on thecriminal investigation team for the raid.[2]
In2020, Bowser challenged incumbentDemocratTom Hawk for the22nd district.[1] He opposedMedicaid expansion and government spending, instead emphasizing increasing the state's revenue throughmedical cannabis,sports betting, andprivatizing theKansas Turnpike.[3] He was defeated in the general election with 48.7% of the vote.
In2024, Bowser announced he would challenge incumbentstate senatorDennis Pyle in theRepublican primary election. Pyle had previously served as anindependent from 2022 to 2024 and ran for governor as one in the2022 election, irking theKansas Republican Party's leadership.[4] Bowser defeatedstate representativeJohn Eplee and Pyle in the primary election with 40.6% of the vote.[5] He was unopposed in the general election.[6]
In 2025, Bowser supported a bill nullifyingracial covenants on land owned byWichita State University.[7]
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Craig Bowser | 5,232 | 60.5 | |
| Republican | Bryan Pruitt | 3,411 | 39.5 | |
| Total votes | 8,643 | 100 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Tom Hawk (incumbent) | 15,687 | 51.3 | |
| Republican | Craig Bowser | 14,911 | 48.7 | |
| Total votes | 30,598 | 100 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Craig Bowser | 5,069 | 40.64 | |
| Republican | John Eplee | 4,543 | 36.43 | |
| Republican | Dennis Pyle (incumbent) | 2,860 | 22.93 | |
| Total votes | 12,472 | 100.00 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Republican | Craig Bowser | 29,530 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 29,530 | 100.00 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
Bowser and his wife, Erin, live on their farm nearHolton, Kansas.[1]