Michael Capps is an American politician who was born in Wichita, Kansas. A Republican, he was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives for the 85th district from 2018 to 2021.
Early life and family
Capps was born in 1978. In profile interviews, he reported that he was born and raised in the northwest Wichita suburb of Valley Center, by a single mother, and never knew his biological father until age 18. As a kid, he said, he participated in wrestling, but was not interested in sports, and preferred involvement with computers, software and gadgets. He reported graduating high school in 1996, subsequently becoming involved with his church, "mentoring disciple students."
Four years later, he joined the U.S. Air Force, serving around the globe, including in combat situations in the Middle East, until 2003. He indicated he was a radio operator on C-130 transports, including in combat service during the events of 9/11.
Capps reported that, when he returned to Kansas, he again became involved in his church. At age 27, he became a single father to a seven-year-old boy who was assigned to him while Capps volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters in 2005. Capps adopted the boy - the son of a disabled, terminally ill mother. However, she entered remission, and by mutual arrangement remained engaged with her son, who lived with his adoptive father, Capps, until adulthood.
Business activity
Capps engaged in various businesses, particularly in computers and business consulting. He founded Integrated Technologies of Kansas ("itKansas" or "ITK"), a computer services firm, reportedly in 2005 (another report says 2008). The firm developed experience working in federal government support. In 2015, Capps sold ITK to Cybertron International, Inc., a larger local computer services firm, and became Cybertron's employee, as vice president of technology services, for less than a year.
In 2016, Capps reported that he was the CEO of Ray Alan and Associates, Inc., a "business coaching and consulting firm" serving "small business owners."
Electoral career
2016
In 2016, Capps ran for the Kansas House of Representatives for the 95th District against incumbent Democrat Tom Sawyer. Each was unopposed in the primary. Sawyer won with 54.4% against 45.5% of the vote for Capps.
2018
In 2018, Capps filed to run for the seat in Kansas House District 97, using an address on South Chase Street, in south Wichita.
But, several months before the election, Chuck Weber, the incumbent Representative for House District 85 - a staunchly Republican district that includes parts of north Wichita, plus suburbs to the north (Bel Aire and Kechi) and Benton northeast of Wichita - decided to withdraw from his run for re-election.
Capps changed his campaign filing, and ran for the District 85 seat, instead, reporting his address as 3103 North Governeour, Wichita, with a mailing address of 6505 E Central Ave #110.
When Capps said he lived at the Governeour street address, a home which had been scheduled to be sold at auction on June 27, 2018, Democrats complained it was not Capps' true address. However, the state Objections Board, all Republicans - Lieutenant Governor Tracey Mann, Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach - refused to uphold the complaint.
In 2018, Capps reported that he was endorsed by the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, and Kansans for Life.
During the summer before the election, incumbent Weber resigned his 85th District seat in the Legislature, effective July 14, 2018. The Sedgwick County Republican Central Committee appointed candidate Capps to fill the remainder of Weber's 85th District term, while Capps was running for that seat, though the legislature did not meet during those months.
Abuse allegations
Not long after Capps's appointment to the vacant seat, allegations of child abuse surfaced. The Kansas GOP cut ties with Capps after it was revealed that the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) had found him responsible for emotional abuse of boys, in 2017, in his work as a volunteer Court-appointed special advocate (CASA). Capps denied the allegations, countering that the agency had investigated him in retaliation for his reporting of a foster parent's misconduct. (The agency's findings against Capps were reversed by the state Office of Administrative Hearings, which found them "unsubstantiated", and cited DCF procedural errors). The local CASA office said it suspended Capps from his role. He resigned from CASA, and was subsequently decertified from the work.