She served from 1995 until 2010, when she was defeated in a primary by Tom Arpke, who would win the seat in the general election.
[2][3] Horst currently serves on the Kansas Board of Education, representing district 6, after defeating Salina Democrat Carol Viar in the 2012 general election.
[4] She has also served as Precinct Committee Woman for the Saline County Kansas Republican Party, and has previously worked as secretary for the Saline County Republican Party Central Committee.
[5] On July 22, 2020, Horst serving as Kansas State Board of Education District 6 member cast a vote that blocked Governor Laura Kelly's order, precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, to keep public schools closed until after Labor Day, at such later time as state health authorities believed primary and secondary schools could safely resume classroom education.
The tied vote effectively overrode the governor's order.