Tracey Mann Bio
Tracey Robert Mann (born December 17, 1976) is an American businessman and Republican politician who has served as the United States Representative for Kansas’s 1st congressional district since 2021. The district, widely known as “the Big First,” covers parts of 63 counties in central and western Kansas and ranks as the seventh-largest congressional district in the nation that does not cover an entire state. Before his time in Congress, Mann served as the 50th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2018 to 2019. He works as a commercial real estate broker, owns his family’s farm, and resides in Salina, Kansas.
Early Life and Background
Tracey Robert Mann was born and raised on the family farm south of Quinter, in Gove County, Kansas. Growing up in a rural farming community shaped his long-standing ties to agriculture and western Kansas. He attended Quinter High School, where, in his senior year, he was elected to serve as FFA president and student council president. These early leadership roles foreshadowed a career built on public service and advocacy for rural communities.
After high school, Mann continued his education at Kansas State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. During his college years, he worked as an intern for then-United States Representative Jerry Moran, gaining firsthand exposure to federal policymaking. He also served as the student body president at Kansas State University, further sharpening his political and organizational skills.
Path to US Politics
Mann’s entry into electoral politics came in 2010, when he ran for Kansas’s 1st congressional district and lost the Republican primary to Tim Huelskamp. During that campaign, he repeatedly insisted that President Barack Obama should produce his birth certificate to prove his citizenship. He has since publicly renounced those birther beliefs.
After years away from the ballot, Mann returned to politics in 2018 when Governor Jeff Colyer appointed him as the 50th lieutenant governor of Kansas. He was sworn in on February 14, 2018, following Colyer’s ascension from the lieutenant governorship upon Sam Brownback’s resignation. Mann served as lieutenant governor until Colyer narrowly lost the 2018 Republican primary to Kris Kobach, at which point both left office the following year.
Tracey Mann Career
Early Career (2010–2017)
Following his 2010 primary loss, Mann focused on his business pursuits and family farm while remaining active in Kansas Republican politics. He built a career as a commercial real estate broker in Salina, working on transactions across the region. He also continued to manage his family’s farm near Quinter, keeping his roots in agriculture central to his public identity.
During this period, Mann cultivated relationships across the state and prepared for a future run for federal office. His experience as a businessman and farmer, combined with his early internship under Jerry Moran, gave him a foundation in both economic and policy matters relevant to rural Kansas.
Congressional Breakthrough (2018–2020)
When two-term incumbent Roger Marshall gave up the 1st district seat to run for the United States Senate in 2020, Mann launched another bid for the seat. On August 4, 2020, he defeated Air Force veteran Bill Clifford in the Republican primary, which served as the real contest in the heavily Republican district. He then went on to defeat Democrat Kali Barnett in the general election, winning approximately 71 percent of the vote.
Mann was sworn in as the United States Representative for Kansas’s 1st congressional district in January 2021. His victory marked a return to elected office after more than a decade away from the ballot.
U.S. House Tenure (2021–Present)
Since taking office, Tracey Robert Mann has represented the sprawling Big First district, focusing on issues affecting rural Kansas, including agriculture, energy, and regulatory reform. He has served on committees relevant to his district’s economy and has been active on legislation touching farming, water, and wildlife policy.
In 2025, the Trump administration moved to delist the lesser prairie chicken from the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Mann had previously led efforts to delist the species, an effort that had been vetoed by then-President Joe Biden. In May 2025, Mann told KSNT that he strongly believes Medicaid must be strengthened to protect benefits for the thousands of vulnerable Kansans who rely on it, and on May 22, 2025, he voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. He has also voted to send $26 billion to Israel during the Gaza War, voted against additional aid to Ukraine in 2024, voted against the Equality Act in 2021, and voted against the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022. He voted to overturn the results of the 2020 United States Presidential election and, along with all Kansas congressmembers, voted for the Laken Riley Act.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining early moments of Mann’s career was his 2020 primary victory, in which he prevailed in a crowded Republican field to claim the Big First seat. His subsequent general-election win, with roughly 71 percent of the vote, cemented his standing as the representative of one of the largest rural districts in the country.
Tracey Mann Career Wins
Tracey Robert Mann’s most notable electoral victory came in 2020, when he won Kansas’s 1st congressional district with approximately 71 percent of the vote. That win returned him to elected office after his earlier appointments and primary loss.
U.S. House Highlights
Mann’s 2020 primary win over Bill Clifford and his decisive general-election victory over Democrat Kali Barnett marked his breakthrough to federal office. He has since held the seat and represents the district that includes parts of 63 counties in central and western Kansas.
Other Wins & Achievements
Beyond electoral wins, Mann’s appointment as the 50th lieutenant governor of Kansas in February 2018 stands as a significant political achievement, reflecting his stature within the Kansas Republican Party.
Tracey Mann Family
Family Background and Political Lineage
Tracey Robert Mann was raised on his family’s farm south of Quinter, Kansas, in Gove County. He continues to own and operate the family farm, reflecting a multi-generational connection to the land that defines much of his public identity.
Personal Life
Mann has been married to Audrey Haynes since 2002. He resides in Salina, Kansas, where he works as a commercial real estate broker, and he is a Pietist.