Martha J. Baumgardner (born March 4, 1959) is a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing District 37 since April 2014. She lives in Louisburg, Kansas.
She currently serves as Communications Coordinator, and 10 years prior was a professor and Student News Center advisor at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park.[1] Baumgardner taught and coached at Louisburg High School for seven years. Her prior corporate and healthcare experience includes Kustom Electronics, Control Data, United Telecom, The Pillsbury Corporation, Humana Medical Center and KU Medical Center.
She served 18 years as a countywide elected member of the Johnson County Community College board of trustees.
The Senate District 37 seat had been held by Pat Apple from 2013 to 2014. Apple resigned in April 2014 to join the Kansas Corporation Commission, a state agency. Apple was nominated by Gov. Sam Brownback in March 2014 for the post, and confirmed by a Senate vote in April 2014.[2]
Baumgardner was elected by precinct committee leaders in northern Miami and southern Johnson counties to fill the seat vacated by Apple through the end of the 2014 legislative session.
Baumgardner defeated Charlotte O'Hara in the August 7, 2014 Republican primary and was unopposed in the 2014 general election on November 4.[3][4][5]