Makayla and I ended last week in the mountains (pictures here). Makayla’s brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law moved to Denver about a month or so ago, as she has begun her residency following medical school. With her crazy busy schedule laid out for the next year, we took hold of an opportunity to connect this past weekend. A refreshing time with little to no humidity. Just enough time to realize how hot it’s been over here on the east side of Kansas!
Kansas Governor’s Race Already Heating Up
Though this past Tuesday was the 2025 primary election date in Kansas, a primary election is only required in a community when the number of candidates who file for a specific position exceeds a certain threshold. Franklin County and many other communities across the state did not have a local race that triggered the necessary threshold, resulting in a lack of a primary. Looking ahead into the new year, there has been plenty of early chatter taking place for a primary in 2026, as the gubernatorial race takes shape. With Governor Laura Kelly's term limit being reached, Kansas voters will choose new leadership in 2026. While the election is still a year away, the field is already drawing significant attention.
Eight Republicans have announced their candidacies for the August 4, 2026, primary election. The candidates include Ty Masterson, Senate President from Andover; Jeff Colyer, former Governor and former Lieutenant Governor; Vicki Schmidt, Kansas Insurance Commissioner; Scott Schwab, Kansas Secretary of State; Charlotte O’Hara, former Johnson County Commissioner; Doug Billings, podcaster; Joy Eakins, former Wichita School Board member; and Stacy Rogers, a Wichita businesswoman. On the Democratic side, two state senators have stepped forward: Ethan Corson of Fairway and Cindy Holscher of Overland Park.
No matter the party, winning in Kansas often requires appealing to a broad coalition of voters. Since 1974, when term limits were introduced, no party has held the governor’s office for more than eight consecutive years. The 2026 Kansas gubernatorial race is still wide open. As more candidates enter, positions take shape, and debates begin, voters will have the opportunity to hear directly how each contender plans to lead the state forward.
Now, bringing our focus back to the present. In the fall of 2025, we will have a general election take place on November 4. Our Legislative Action Committee will be planning a Candidate Forum to take place before early voting begins. With contested City Commission and USD290 School Board races, we will all have the chance to hear from our local candidates prior to the election (view those here).
New Podcast Spotlights Ottawa’s Businesses and Organizations
It’s been just over two months since JieJie joined our team. In that time, she’s infused some new energy and regular programming into our office. While she has several exciting programs heating up, one that has already taken shape and was recently released includes the Chamber’s newest podcast. The 'Hometown Hustle' highlights local businesses and organizations, giving a behind-the-scenes look at what is taking place in our small town. You can view her first edition here with Donald Anderson and Ottawa University (watch that here). As a graduate student at Ottawa University, it made a lot of sense to start this recurring show with her new school. If you're interested in JieJie highlighting your organization through her podcast, shoot her an email (access to that here). I look forward to seeing more of her productions as time goes on. Good stuff, JieJie!
Fueling Ottawa: A Morning at Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline
This morning, Chamber members gathered for a Chamber Coffee at Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline at their beautiful facility off Nebraska Road (pictures here). Their Ottawa location, a ‘compressor station’, is hidden just behind I-35 Hwy, housing their 40+ employees. Southern Star, as a whole, is a natural gas transportation company with a hundred-year history, headquartered in Kentucky. Their network spans approximately 6,000 miles across seven states, including Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas. Their organization plays a crucial role in reliably delivering natural gas across the region. Whether that’s providing warmth for our homes and businesses or powering our gas appliances like stoves and dryers. This underground utility is often overlooked (unless we’re digging of course), but someone has to disperse it, and in our case, that’s Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline.
Their organization has had a presence in Ottawa since the 1980s. But looking back to just 2020, Southern Star was approved for a project to construct a single 36-inch pipeline replacing two parallel lines between Southern Star’s Welda and Ottawa compressor stations. The $145 million project began in early 2020 and concluded later that year. This upgrade enhanced system reliability and efficiency near Ottawa. Because of our location within their network (view that network here), so much of the gas that gets pushed throughout those 6,000 miles comes through our town. As a result, we host one of the largest stations throughout the pipeline's footprint.
I mentioned that this location has over forty employees, which is significantly more than what I would have guessed before this morning’s Coffee. What’s even more astonishing is their company’s retention rate. Out of those forty-plus employees, none of them have been with the company for less than 10 years! It was even shared that they recently had an employee retire who was with Southern Star for 42 years, a fantastic accomplishment. Another member of their staff has had his father and grandfather employed there, making him a third-generation employee. This is a company that takes care of its staff, and it shows! Along with supporting their team, they also play a role in supporting local organizations―including ours! In the past year, Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline has been seen sponsoring the Chamber’s Summer Concert Series, COF Training Services, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Franklin County, and even handing out shopping totes to those at the Ottawa Kansas Farmers Market (pictures here). This commitment to those who make up their organization, and to those throughout our community, makes us very proud to have them as an Ottawa Chamber member!
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This evening, we will be dancing the night away as Clevermax rocks out at Legacy Square. This concert concludes the Chamber’s Summer Concert Series, so don’t miss out! Admission is free; we encourage you to bring a lawn chair and come thirsty. Our staff will be serving up cold drinks all night as part of our annual fundraiser. I hope you come and enjoy the fun between 7-10pm in downtown Ottawa! See you there,
Ryland Miller
President/CEO
Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce
ryland@ottawakansas.org
785-242-1000
