About the Shawnee County Democratic Party
Let’s fight for a better, brighter future.
Our Mission & Vision
We are dedicated to serving the more than 35,000 Democrats of Shawnee County. We strive to promote the Kansas Democratic Party Platform. We support local and national Democratic candidates by providing trained volunteers ready to knock doors, make phone calls, and assist with the many tasks involved in running a campaign.
Kansas Democrats believe what brings us together is far stronger than what divides us. We strive to protect the freedom of the individual, while working together to actively contribute to the vibrancy and vitality of our communities. We believe that government has a responsibility to promote policies that provide economic and social justice, access to healthcare, a clean environment, and safe workplaces. Government has a responsibility to improve the human condition. Kansas Democrats are committed to putting the people of Kansas first by promoting the values and policies that advance the common good for all Kansans, through:
- honest, ethical leadership and sound, pragmatic decision-making
- fairness and equity in our policies
- a strong economy that does not leave anyone behind
- investments in our children, families, and communities
- forward vision regarding the social, economic, and environmental needs of tomorrow
Kansas Democrats strongly support the need for fair, safe, and inclusive elections. We believe that, to express the democratic will of the people of Kansas, our government should encourage, enable, and facilitate the active participation in the political process of all people without distinction of any kind such as race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, physical, intellectual, and/or developmental disability, economic status, religion, creed, sex, veteran or military status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or gender identity/expression.
The Kansas Democratic Party asks the people of Kansas to examine our traditions of leadership and to join us in moving our state forward to an even brighter tomorrow.
Our Platform
The official Kansas Democratic Party platform can be downloaded and viewed here. These were last updated in August of 2021. We will have new information available for you, as it develops.
Bylaws
Our Shawnee County Democratic Party Bylaws are available for download here.
Shawnee County Democratic Party Leadership
Jason Peters’ entry into campaigning began with Pete Buttigieg’s presidential run in 2020. He was co-lead for the Kansas volunteer team which canvassed for Pete in southwest Iowa ahead of his primary caucus.
Canvassing with his daughter really inspired him to get more involved locally.
He has advised local candidates, served as both a Precinct Committee Person (PCP) and Chair of the PCP Committee in Shawnee County.
He was also chosen by the Kansas Democratic Party to oversee Shawnee County’s field strategy for the 2024 elections.
Jason is married with one daughter and is the Infrastructure Manager for a Kansas bank.
Jessica Porter discovered the Shawnee County Democrats on the night of the 2020 inauguration.
She joined the Communications Committee helping with social media posts and soon after became the Chair of the Communications Committee.
Jessica was elected to be a Precinct Committee Person (PCP) in 2021 and shortly after began door-to-door canvassing for women’s reproductive rights and various candidates.
In 2024, she ran for State Representative in Kansas House District 50.
Jessica graduated from the University of Kansas and works for the Kansas Department of Labor as the Social Media and Web Coordinator.
Sherri Camp has a BA in History, a BA in Sociology, and a Masters in Liberal Studies with a History and Technology focus from Washburn University. She also holds a Certificate in Genealogy from Brigham Young University.
She is the founding president of Kansas Network to Freedom, author of African American Topeka, is the founding and current president of the Kansas Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) and served as the society’s National Vice President for five years and its president for two years.
Sherri is currently a Precinct Committee Person (PCP), and past Chair of the Legislative Oversight Committee.
Sherri works at the Topeka Shawnee County Library as the Geneology Librarian.
Karen Rooney-Cuevas retired in 2018 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS) after 22 years of service, where she worked in Medical Management as a Nurse Disease/Case Manager and Certified Diabetes Educator.
She attended Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia where she studied Business Administration and ultimately graduated as a Registered Nurse from Stormont Vail Nursing School in Topeka in 1978.
Karen and her husband, Ignacio, have been married 43 years and have two daughters and three grandchildren.
She learned from her dad early on the importance of being politically savvy and especially the importance of voting. A neighbor planted a seed that she might enjoy becoming involved with the Shawnee County Democrats. So she wrote her name in and was elected as a Precinct Committee Person (PCP).
Parliamentarian
Foster Chisholm
Foster Chisholm is a lifelong Kansan who has proudly called Topeka home his entire life. A graduate of Topeka High, he began his education at McKinley Elementary—one of Topeka’s first Black schools during segregation. He later served as a postal worker before spending nearly a decade as the Sergeant-at-Arms at the Kansas House of Representatives, where he retired in 2024 after helping uphold decorum and order.
Deeply committed to community service, he has volunteered with Meals on Wheels and served on its board, as well as worked with the East Topeka Action Program. A dedicated Democrat, he has been active in the Shawnee County Democratic Party for over 20 years and currently serves as a Precinct Committee Person (PCP) and as our parliamentarian.
Caucuses and Collaborators
