Richard Carlson (born June 17, 1944) is the current Kansas Secretary of Transportation, a position in which he has served since 2016.
He also served on the board of the Flint Hills Regional Leadership Program.
After leaving the legislature, Carlson worked as a legislative liaison and tax policy advisor for the Kansas Department of Revenue.
After Mike King resigned to pursue a career in the private sector, Governor Sam Brownback appointed Carlson to serve as interim Kansas Secretary of Transportation on July 18, 2016.
On October 24, 2016, Brownback announced that he would nominate Carlson for the official cabinet role.