Patrick Penn

Patrick Penn is an American politician who served as a member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 85th district. Elected in November 2020, he assumed office on January 11, 2021.

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
Political 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

Early life and education

Penn was raised in the foster care system. While in the Army, Penn earned a Bachelor of Science degree 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]

Career

After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Army, where he was deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Prior to entering politics, Penn worked for Textron Aviation Defense. Penn was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in November 2020 and assumed office on January 11, 2021.^[2] Penn defeated incumbent Michael Capps in the Republican primary.^[3] New Politics describes him as a Christian Conservative.

Penn announced his resignation from the Kansas House of Representatives in May 2025 and was subsequently appointed as a deputy undersecretary in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.^[4] Penn will serve as the deputy undersecretary for the department’s food, nutrition and consumer services with secretary Brooke Rollins stating that Penn's "personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper."^[5]