Jo Ella Hoye is a Democrat representing District 17 in the Kansas House of Representatives. She serves as House Minority Whip and is recognized for her bipartisan work on issues like gun violence prevention, earning the 2018 Professional Women in Advocacy Excellence in Advocacy award from Everytown for Gun Safety. A stay-at-home mom and public servant, she advocates for family safety through sensible gun laws while supporting Second Amendment rights, motivated by a 2015 mass shooting incident.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Graduate of Nebraska City High School and Cornell College; holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas.
• Professional Background: Held local government management roles in public, private, and non-profit sectors; most recently Senior Analyst in the Johnson County Manager’s Office. Leadership Northeast class of 2014.
• Political Experience: Elected to Kansas House District 17 . Served over three years with Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, including as Kansas Chapter Leader, advancing bipartisan gun safety legislation. Current committees and ranking minority leadership roles.
• Community Involvement: Vice President for Ways and Means of Rising Star PTA; Vice Chair of Lenexa Planning Commission; involved with Shawnee Mission School District’s My Volunteer Pal program; past roles on Lenexa and Mission city boards/commissions and Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church Board of Trustees. Resides in Lenexa with husband Brian and son William.