July 3, 2007

NEWS: Sharp Enough

Legislative duties cut Sharp
Representative Stephanie Sharp to leave Kansas House Jan 2008

By Miguel M. Morales

Stephanie Sharp announced July 2 that she resigned her position representing Lenexa in the Kansas House of Representatives.

“On the one hand, I am letting you down, which is my greatest heartache,” she said in her newsletter,
The Sharp Record. “But on the other hand, the sacrifice just became too great to rationally justify for my professional career and financial future at this time.”

Sharp, a Republican, won the election for the 17th District seat in 2002 and was reelected in 2006.
She said from the beginning her service to the district kept her from finding regular full-time employment and put a strain on her family.

“There are so many things we want to do - but because of schedule and finances - we never could because I chose to run for and serve in the legislature,” she said.

At one point Sharp gave up on finding a “normal” job.

“I finally realized I was in deep denial,” she said.

Sharp accepted a position at Community America Credit Union as a Public Relations Officer. Her resignation from the legislature takes effect Jan 18, 2008.

The Kansas Republican Precinct leaders will select Sharp’s replacement in the next 21 days.

Last December, in a controversial decision, precinct leaders selected Phil Kline (R) as Johnson County District Attorney. Paul Morrison (D) resigned the position when he defeated Kline in the election for Kansas Attorney General.

Sharp said she hopes the precinct leaders will select Jill Quigly, a 22-year resident of the district and a registered nurse, who has stepped forward as a candidate.