John Wheeler | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 123rd district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | John Doll |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 6, 1947 Garden City, Kansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Garden City |
| Alma mater | Fort Hays State University Washburn University School of Law |
| Profession | Attorney |
John P. Wheeler Jr. (born August 6, 1947) is an American politician. He has served as a Republican member for the 123rd district in the Kansas House of Representatives since 2017.[1][2][3] In March 2018, Wheeler rejected legalizing marijuana.[4] On March 23, 2022, at the swearing in of the first Indigenous Kansas state representative, Ponka-We Victors-Cozad, Rep. Wheeler commented that he wanted to make sure she was using a gavel and not a tomahawk. Rep. Wheeler later apologized to Rep. Victors-Cozad who did not accept his apology and called for accountability.[5]
He was born and raised in Garden City, Kansas. Shortly after graduation, he served in the United States Air Force and received the Air Force Commendation Medal. After this, he went to work for several law firms and also served as a member of the Federal District Court of the State of Kansas and as a member of the Kansas Supreme Court. He also served as a member of the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Later in his career, he practiced as a sole practitioner and served as the county attorney for Finney County, Kansas. He retired from practicing law in 2013 and served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives beginning in 2017.