By Jeff Fogg | ThisIsTopeka.com
Published October 15, 2025
The Kansas Young Republicans organization has gone inactive after a national scandal exposed thousands of racist, antisemitic, and violent messages exchanged by party youth leaders — including one based in Topeka.
The leak, first reported by Politico on Monday, revealed private Telegram messages in which several state-level Young Republican leaders made references to Adolf Hitler, joked about gas chambers, and used racial and homophobic slurs more than 250 times. Among those named is William Hendrix, a Topeka resident and former City Council candidate who until last week served as vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans.
Topeka Connection
Hendrix, who has previously worked as a communications assistant in Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach’s office, was identified in the leaked chat logs using racial slurs and mocking Black Americans with stereotypical references to “watermelon and Kool-Aid.”
Following the publication of the messages, the Kansas Attorney General’s office confirmed that Hendrix “is no longer employed.”
Hendrix, who ran unsuccessfully for Topeka City Council District 3 in 2021, has not issued a public statement. This Is Topeka reached out for comment via email and phone on Tuesday but received no response by deadline.
The Kansas Reflector and KC UR confirmed that the Kansas Young Republicans’ website and social-media accounts have been taken offline, effectively dissolving the chapter.
State Party Response
Kansas Republican Party Chair Danedri Herbert, who also serves as a spokesperson for Kobach, denounced the language in the chat as “disgusting and indefensible.” [first reported by KMBC]
“Kansas Republican Party leadership is ‘disgusted by the comments by young Kansas Republicans mentioned in the Politico story,’ Herbert said in a statement.”
“Their comments do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not of Kansas Republicans at large, who elected a black chair a few months ago,”
Herbert added. “Republicans believe that all people are created in the image of God. … We strive to eliminate racism and we condemn all racist acts and groups.”
National Fallout
The messages, obtained by Politico, span more than 2,900 pages exchanged between January and August among a dozen Young Republican leaders from New York, Kansas, Arizona, and Vermont.
Within those messages, participants joked about killing political opponents, referenced slavery approvingly, and repeatedly praised Adolf Hitler. One Kansas leader in the chat, Alex Dwyer, chair of the state organization, reacted to a comment saying “Great, I love Hitler” with a smiling emoji.
Both Dwyer and Hendrix were removed from their roles following the publication of the report. The Young Republican National Federation released a statement condemning the remarks as “racist, antisemitic, and completely inconsistent with the organization’s mission.”
Several members named in the chats have since lost jobs or campaign roles, including in New York and Vermont.
Reaction in Topeka
Local residents and civic leaders expressed shock that a Topeka resident and former City Council candidate was directly involved.
“It’s not just some online joke or national issue — this was someone who asked our community for votes,” said a resident of Central Topeka who attended Hendrix’s 2021 candidate forum. “It makes you wonder how deep this kind of thinking runs.”
Community advocates said the incident underscores the need for ethical vetting of young political leaders before they move into staff positions in government.
“Racism isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a moral one,” said Rev. Terry Williams of East Side Baptist Church. “Every party, every faith, and every generation has to stand up and say this is not who we are as Topekans or as Kansans.”
Broader Implications for Kansas Politics
The fallout comes at a time when Kansas Republicans have been working to rebuild their youth base after years of declining participation. The Young Republicans program has historically served as a pipeline for future staffers, campaign managers, and candidates. Now, that pipeline appears temporarily severed.
Political scientists say the controversy could widen divides within the Kansas GOP between traditional conservatives and those aligned with the party’s hard-right faction.
Dr. Robert Beatty, chair of Political Science at Washburn University, said the incident could be “a turning point for how Kansas Republicans handle extremism inside their own ranks.”
“When these kinds of conversations are happening behind closed doors among young leaders, it raises serious questions about the culture being tolerated at the party’s edges,” Beatty said. “Topeka is not immune to that trend.”
Where Things Stand
As of this week, the Kansas Young Republicans organization remains inactive, and the state party says there are no plans to reinstate it until further notice. The national Young Republicans have not announced whether a replacement structure will be created for Kansas.
Meanwhile, the political conversation in Topeka is shifting toward how local leaders can restore trust and ensure transparency moving forward. If we want young people to engage in politics again, we have to prove it’s about service, not hate, Otherwise we lose a generation to disillusionment.
Editor’s Note
This Is Topeka does not endorse or condone any of the language referenced in the Politico report. All quotes in this story have been verified against the original public reporting and public statements from Kansas Republican leaders.
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