# Patrick Penn

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Patrick_Penn
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Patrick_Penn.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Penn
> Source revision: 1350110919
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name        = Patrick Penn
| image       = Patrick Penn by Gage Skidmore.jpg
| spouse      = Talia Penn
| children    = 4
| state_house = Kansas
| district    = 85th
| term_start  = January 11, 2021
| term_end    = June 13, 2025
| predecessor = [Michael Capps](/source/Michael_Capps_(politician))
| successor   = [Steven Brunk](/source/Steven_Brunk)
| party       = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States))
| education   = [Colorado State University](/source/Colorado_State_University) ([BS](/source/Bachelor_of_Science))<br>[George Mason University](/source/George_Mason_University) ([MS](/source/Master_of_Science))
| branch      = {{flag|United States Army}}
| rank        = [Captain](/source/Captain_(United_States_O-3))
| battles     = [Iraq War](/source/Iraq_War)<br>[War in Afghanistan](/source/War_in_Afghanistan_(2001%E2%80%93present))
}}

'''Patrick Penn''' is an American politician who served as a member of the [Kansas House of Representatives](/source/Kansas_House_of_Representatives) from the 85th district from 2021 through 2025. Currently, Penn is the undersecretary of the [Food and Nutrition Service](/source/Food_and_Nutrition_Service).

== Early life and education ==
Penn was raised in the foster care system. After graduating from high school, he joined the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army). During his tenure, Penn earned a [Bachelor of Science](/source/Bachelor_of_Science) in sociology/criminology from [Colorado State University](/source/Colorado_State_University) and a [Master of Science](/source/Master_of_Science) in applied Information technology from the [Volgenau School of Engineering](/source/Volgenau_School_of_Engineering) of [George Mason University](/source/George_Mason_University).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Patrick Penn|url=https://www.newpolitics.org/patrick-penn|access-date=2021-05-02|website=New Politics|language=en-US}}</ref>

While in the [United States Army](/source/United_States_Army), Penn was a [captain](/source/Captain_(United_States_O-3)) and was deployed to [Iraq](/source/Iraq) and [Afghanistan](/source/Afghanistan).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quraishi |first=Hafsa N. |date=5 August 2020 |title=Penn Unseats Capps In District 85 Republican House Primary |url=https://www.kmuw.org/post/penn-unseats-capps-district-85-republican-house-primary |access-date=2021-05-02 |website=www.kmuw.org |language=en}}</ref>

== Career ==
Once Penn had retired from the U.S. Army,{{When|date=November 2025}} he worked for [Textron Aviation](/source/Textron_Aviation).<ref name=":0" />

=== Kansas House of Representatives ===
In 2020, Penn sought election to the [Kansas House of Representatives](/source/Kansas_House_of_Representatives). In August, he defeated incumbent [Michael Capps](/source/Michael_Capps_(politician)), and was elected in the general election in November. He assumed office on January 11, 2021. New Politics describes him as a Christian conservative.<ref name=":0" />

=== Food and Nutrition Service ===
Penn resigned from the Kansas House of Representatives in June 2025 and was subsequently appointed as deputy undersecretary for the [Food and Nutrition Service](/source/Food_and_Nutrition_Service) by president [Donald Trump](/source/Donald_Trump).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kaminski|first=Anna|title=Trump appoints former Kansas legislator to USDA post|url=https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/trump-appoints-former-kansas-legislator-to-usda-post/|access-date=2025-06-16|website=www.kansasreflector.com|date=27 May 2025|language=en}}</ref> [United States Secretary of Agriculture](/source/United_States_Secretary_of_Agriculture) [Brooke Rollins](/source/Brooke_Rollins) stated that Penn's "personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kaminski |first1=Anna |title=Trump appoints former Kansas legislator to USDA post |url=https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/trump-appoints-former-kansas-legislator-to-usda-post/ |website=[Kansas Reflector](/source/Kansas_Reflector) |access-date=27 June 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Penn, Patrick}}
Category:Living people
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:African-American state legislators in Kansas
Category:Anti-pornography activists
Category:Black conservatism in the United States
Category:Colorado State University alumni
Category:George Mason University alumni
Category:Politicians from Wichita, Kansas
Category:Republican Party members of the Kansas House of Representatives
Category:United States Army officers
Category:Year of birth missing (living people)
Category:21st-century members of the Kansas Legislature

{{US-army-bio-stub}}
{{Kansas-KSRepresentative-stub}}

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Patrick Penn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Penn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Penn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.