Kansas Republican legislator drops out of race after DUI, gun charges

Kansas Rep. Carl Maughan, a 52-year-old Colwich Republican, ended his re-election campaign Thursday night — a week after he was charged with possessing a loaded firearm while driving under the influence of alcohol.

Maughan announced the decision on Facebook.

“For personal and family reasons, I will be terminating my campaign for re-election as State Representative for District 90,” he wrote. “It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of the 90th. I will complete my term and remain active in politics in order to continue to serve our state and nation in whatever small way that I can.”

Maughan was arrested in Topeka in March but was not charged until last week, after the legislative session ended.

He has not responded to The Eagle’s request for comment.

Maughan was elected in 2022 to represent Colwich, Maize, Bentley, Valley Center and parts of northwest Wichita, in the Kansas House of Representatives. He ran unopposed. After his arrest, Maughan stepped down from his role as vice chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

He was charged with two misdemeanors: possession of a firearm while under the influence and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated by alcohol. He was also cited for two traffic infractions: failure to maintain a single lane while driving and failure to properly signal a lane change.

Maughan had filed for re-election but faced a primary challenge from Republican Darren Pugh.

Prior to his time in the Kansas House, Maughan ran for judge in the Kansas 18th Judicial District, Division 3, but lost in the Republican primary to Gregory Keith.

Maughan is also awaiting a Kansas Supreme Court ruling on whether he can continue to practice law in Kansas. He faces a yearlong suspension after being accused of misconduct while representing 57-year-old Bret Blevins in a deadly 2016 crash in Wichita that killed two Starkey clients, Dirk MacMillan, 46, and Leonard “Dusty” Atterbery, 25.