Representative Wanda Paige

Wanda Kay Brownlee Paige was born on September 30, 1956, in Kansas City, Kansas. She is the daughter of Eddie and Aser Lee Brownlee and has four brothers and four sisters. Before entering politics, Paige established a long career in education. She taught social studies at Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools for 30 years, retiring in May 2012. Her teaching assignments included Argentine Middle School, Coronado Middle School, and Central Middle School. In addition to her classroom duties, she coached basketball, track, and volleyball teams, and sponsored cultural activities for occasions such as Cinco de Mayo, Black History Month, Women's History Month, and Asian History Month. Paige is a member of the Sigma Gamma Rho sorority, Heart of America Sisterhood, Inc., and Tabernacle Baptist Church.

Education

Paige attended Hawthorne Elementary School and Northwest Middle School before graduating from Wyandotte High School in 1974. She pursued higher education at Simpson College, earning a bachelor's degree in history and a master's degree in teaching social studies. She furthered her education by taking adult education courses at Drake University and completing English as a Second Language courses at Kansas State University.

Political Experience

Paige is a Democrat serving as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives for District 35, a position she has held since 2024. Prior to her service in the state legislature, she was seated as a member of the Kansas City, Kansas School Board in January 2018. In September 2024, she secured the Democratic nomination for the 35th district by winning 49% of the vote in a competitive four-way primary, defeating the incumbent Robinson. Following the primary, she was expected to run unopposed in the November general election.