Kansas › Riley County › Riley County Commissioner, District 1
2 candidates are tracked for Riley County Commissioner, District 1 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: John Ford and Rob Voelker. Candidate information follows official Riley County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
August 4 primary result: incumbent John Ford won the Republican nomination with 58 percent (721 votes) over Gary Bennington (42 percent, 521 votes), per News Radio KMAN and the Riley County board of canvassers' certification. Democrat Rob Voelker ran unopposed in his primary, so Ford and Voelker meet on the November 3 ballot.
Republican · Incumbent
John Ford is the incumbent Riley County commissioner for the 1st District, first elected in 2018. He works for Florence Corporation in Manhattan and is a Kansas State University graduate in construction science, per News Radio KMAN. Ford filed in April 2026 for a third term, saying property taxes are the county's main issue, per KMAN.
Democratic
Rob Voelker is a Democratic candidate for the Riley County Commission's 1st District seat and a former broadcaster, per News Radio KMAN. He filed in February 2026 to challenge incumbent Republican John Ford, describing himself on his campaign site as a collaborator focused on strong leadership for the county.
Source: candidate campaign site, roster verified 2026-09-06.
Campaign site →