Kansas lawmaker Dan Goddard dies at 78

“I came to Kansas without a political thought in my mind,” Dan Goddard said as his final session in the Legislature came to a close.

The southeast Kansas lawmaker, who built a second career in public service after decades in the military, died Thursday at 78 years of age, Kansas Reflector reported. He would have turned 79 on November 3.

Goddard, a Republican from Parsons, spent 24 years in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot before retiring to support economic development at closed military bases. He entered state politics later in life, serving in the Kansas Senate from 2017 to 2021 before winning election to the House in 2022, taking office in 2023. Earlier this year, he announced he would not seek reelection.

Legislative Career and Colleagues’ Reactions

Throughout his time in Topeka, Goddard earned a reputation for crossing party lines to work with colleagues. Following the news of his passing, fellow lawmakers shared tributes online.

Kansas lawmaker Dan Goddard dies at 78 — Photo: yahoo.com

Dan was always willing to work together and support good policies, despite us coming from different sides of the aisle.

That tribute came from Senate Minority Leader Dynah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat running for state insurance commissioner, who wrote on Facebook that she was grateful for his kindness and friendship. Goddard himself reflected warmly on those relationships as his legislative career wound down, noting in an interview with Kansas Reflector that he had made friends in the chamber that he would never forget.

Before his passing, Goddard’s legislative tenure concluded with his decision to step away from the House rather than run for another term, closing a chapter that bridged military service and state governance in Kansas.