A Kansas state legislator is not seeking reelection, saying Friday that she is moving to Texas so that she can help care for her wife's aging parents.
State Rep. Stephanie Byers, 59, (D-Wichita), was elected in 2020 and opposed proposals to ban transgender athletes from girls' and women's school and college sports. The proposals were vetoed by the governor.
Byers filed paperwork Friday with the Kansas secretary of state's office to withdraw as a candidate in her district. Byers is moving to San Antonio and said she may eventually run for elected office there.
Byers is a retired high school music teacher and band director. She has served on two education committees and another that dealt with water issues.
Meanwhile, a transgender woman, Jaelynn Abegg, 37, is running as a Democrat in Wichita. Abegg is a audio producer, musician and singer-songwriter, and called Byers “an incredibly strong advocate” for transgender youth.