Biography
Eric Jenkins is a retired U.S. Army colonel and former Shawnee, Kansas city councilmember who won the Republican nomination for Kansas's 3rd District. He spent decades with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and in Shawnee city government, and according to his campaign website is running on fiscal responsibility, lower taxes, and border security and national defense.[1]
Jenkins retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army. According to his campaign website, as reported by KCUR, he spent 34 years on active and reserve duty, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.[1][3] He spent 30 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and KCUR reports that he spent most of his professional career there.[1][3]
Jenkins spent 28 years in Shawnee, Kansas city government, including on the Shawnee Planning Commission and two terms on the city council representing Ward 2, which KCUR dates from 2015 to 2023.[1][3] He ran unsuccessfully for the Kansas House in 2016 and 2018, according to KCUR, and lost his 2023 council reelection bid to Jeanie Murphy.[1][3] He announced his congressional campaign on May 28, 2026, shortly before Kansas's June 1 filing deadline, and advanced from the August 4 Republican primary.[1][2]
- 1.Former Shawnee city councilmember announces run for Congress, setting up GOP primary · Johnson County Post · 2026-05-28 News report
- 2.Kansas' 3rd Congressional District election, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
- 3.Kansas 3rd District Congress: Sharice Davids, Steve Hohe, Johnson and Wyandotte counties · KCUR News report
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.
