Western Kansas Sen. Bud Estes dies after a prolonged illness
State Sen. Bud Estes died Saturday morning at the age of 74, according to a statement from his family.
Estes, a Dodge City Republican, had been hospitalized in recent months after a prolonged illness. He had not been in Topeka this session and kept a low profile during his re-election campaign due to his health.
He won re-election to a second term in November and Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, said previously that he was sworn in at a private ceremony in Dodge City last month.
Prior to his election to the Senate in 2017, Estes served three years in the Kansas House. He also was mayor of Bucklin from 1976 to 1990 and also previously served on the Ford County Planning Commission.