{{Short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Rick Kloos |state_senate = Kansas |district = 19th |term_start = January 11, 2021 |term_end = |predecessor = Anthony Hensley |successor = |birth_name = Richard Gene Kloos |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|07|26}} |birth_place = Miltonvale, Kansas, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = Republican |spouse = Pennie Kloos |children = 4 |education = Trinity College, Ellendale, North Dakota (BA) |website = {{URL|www.kloosforkansas.com|Official website}} }}
'''Richard Gene Kloos''' (born July 26, 1966) is a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 19th district, which covers Topeka and eastern Shawnee County, western Douglas County and all of Osage County and Jefferson County.<ref name="CarpHaysP11042020">Carpenter, Tim. [https://hayspost.com/posts/0aa73c4e-6fae-46cd-a9b4-597442b41999 Ill-fated campaign for Kan. governor guides shocking run against icon Hensley], ''Hays Post'', Eagle Communications, November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.</ref> On November 3, 2020, he defeated Anthony Hensley, who had been holding office in the Kansas statehouse for 44 years, by 51.2% to 48.8%.<ref name="KSNT11052020">[https://www.ksnt.com/electionresults/ Election Results], ''KSNT-TV Channel 27'', Topeka, Kansas, November 6, 2020.</ref><ref name="WuTCJ11042020">Wu, Titus. [https://www.cjonline.com/news/20201104/rick-kloos-pulls-upset-win-over-anthony-hensley-gop-sweeps-topekarsquos-kansas-senate-races Rick Kloos pulls upset win over Anthony Hensley; GOP sweeps Topeka’s Kansas Senate races], ''Topeka Capitol-Journal'', November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2020.</ref>
==Career== In June 2009, Rick started God's Storehouse in Topeka, Kansas, a non-profit, community thrift store with over 80 employees.<ref>[https://www.gshtopeka.org/#scene3 About], God's Storehouse, Topeka, Kansas. Retrieved November 19, 2020.</ref>
===2018 Kansas Governor campaign=== Kloos ran as an Independent for governor, on a ticket with his son, Nathaniel, running for lieutenant governor. They finished last, in 5th place in the general election, with 6,584 votes, 0.6% of the total.<ref name=ballotpedia/><ref name="HutchNews12272017">Clarkin, Mary. [https://www.hutchnews.com/news/20171227/high-school-dropout-running-for-governor High school dropout running for governor], ''Hutchinson News'', December 27, 2017. Retrieved November 19, 2020.</ref>
===2020 Kansas 19th Senate district campaign=== Kloos ran unchallenged in the GOP primary; however, he received 6,758 in the primary.<ref name="KSNTFeuerborn11042020">Feuerborn, Mark. [https://www.ksnt.com/elections/topeka-thrift-store-founder-ends-state-democrat-leader-hensleys-27-year-tenure/ Topeka thrift store founder ends state Democrat leader Hensley’s 27-year tenure], ''KSNT-TV Channel 27'', Topeka, Kansas, November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.</ref> He beat Anthony Hensley 16,141 votes to 15,383 votes, 51% to 49%, in the November 3, 2020 general election—in what Titus Wu of the ''Topeka Capitol-Journal'' has called "a huge upset victory".<ref name="WuTCJ11042020"/><ref name="KSNT11052020"/> Hensley had at least three times the campaign budget that Kloos had.<ref name="CarpHaysP11042020"/> Kloos opposes abortion and was endorsed by Kansans for Life.<ref name="CarpHaysP11042020"/> Hensley had represented the area for 44 years as either the state representative or state senator.<ref name=ballotpedia>[https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Kloos Rick Kloos], ''Ballotpedia''. Retrieved June 14, 2021.</ref> The Kloos campaign outraised Hensley $37,433 to $1,286.<ref>[https://www.followthemoney.org/entity-details?eid=44000991 Anthony Hensley], ''OpenSecrets''. Retrieved June 14, 2021.</ref>
==Personal life== Kloos and his wife Pennie have been married for 34 years and have lived in Berryton, Kansas for 22 years. They have four grown boys, along with seven grandchildren.
==References== {{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links== {{Kansas State Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kloos, Rick}} Category:Republican Party Kansas state senators Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Topeka, Kansas Category:1966 births Category:21st-century members of the Kansas Legislature