Patrick Penn | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 85th district | |
| In office January 11, 2021 – June 13, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Capps |
| Succeeded by | Steven Brunk |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Talia Penn |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence(s) | Wichita, Kansas, U.S. |
| Education | Colorado State University (BS) George Mason University (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Patrick Penn is an American politician who served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 85th district from 2021 through 2025. Currently, Penn is the undersecretary of the Food and Nutrition Service.
Early life and education
[edit]Penn was raised in the foster care system. After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Army. During his tenure, Penn earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology/criminology from Colorado State University and a Master of Science in applied Information technology from the Volgenau School of Engineering of George Mason University.[1]
While in the United States Army, Penn was a captain and was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.[2]
Career
[edit]Once Penn had retired from the U.S. Army,[when?] he worked for Textron Aviation.[1]
Kansas House of Representatives
[edit]In 2020, Penn sought election to the Kansas House of Representatives. In August, he defeated incumbent Michael Capps, and was elected in the general election in November. He assumed office on January 11, 2021. New Politics describes him as a Christian conservative.[1]
Food and Nutrition Service
[edit]Penn resigned from the Kansas House of Representatives in June 2025 and was subsequently appointed as deputy undersecretary for the Food and Nutrition Service by president Donald Trump.[3] United States Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins stated that Penn's "personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper."[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Patrick Penn". New Politics. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Quraishi, Hafsa N. (August 5, 2020). "Penn Unseats Capps In District 85 Republican House Primary". www.kmuw.org. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
- ^ Kaminski, Anna (May 27, 2025). "Trump appoints former Kansas legislator to USDA post". www.kansasreflector.com. Retrieved June 16, 2025.
- ^ Kaminski, Anna. "Trump appoints former Kansas legislator to USDA post". Kansas Reflector. Retrieved June 27, 2025.
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