Education
Born in Wichita, Kansas, Sawyer graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1984.
Born in Wichita, Kansas, Sawyer graduated from Wichita State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting in 1984.
Sawyer previously represented the 95th district in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2008. Sawyer was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1987. He became the party"s House Leader, and through his 12-year legislative career served as both Majority Leader and Minority Leader.
He is only the fourth Democrat to ever be elected Majority Leader of the Kansas House and the only Wichitan to hold that position in the last 30 years.
After serving as State Chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party for four years, Sawyer was once again elected to the state legislature in 2002, and was re-elected in 2004, 2006 and 2008. He served as chair of the Sedgwick County Legislative Delegation in 2005.
He resigned from the Kansas House of Representatives in 2009 to serve on the state Parole Board. In the 2012 Kansas House of Representatives election, Sawyer defeated Republican incumbent Benny Boman, returning him to his position as the representative for the 95th district.
Kansas House Committee membership
Appropriations
General Government Budget
Elections (Ranking Member)
Rules and Journal (Vice-Chair)
Joint Committee on Legislative Post Audit
Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations
Major donors
The top 5 donors to Sawyer"s 2008 campaign:
1.
Kansans for Lifesaving Cures $1,000
2. Kansas National Education Association $1,000
3. Kansas Contractors Association $1,000
4.
Koch Industries $900
5.
Wal-Mart $800.