Democrats Face Quandary with Sebelius Not in Kansas Anymore

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Democrats Face Quandary with Sebelius Not in Kansas Anymore
By Josh Goodman, Governing Magazine, CQ Staff

Josh Goodman writes the Ballot Box blog on Governing.com



Strange but true: Soon, there will be four Democrats in Kansas holding statewide elected offices, but none of those people will have been elected to the office in which they serve.

Assuming Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is confirmed as secretary of Health and Human Services, Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson will become governor. He’ll appoint a new lieutenant governor. Sebelius appointed the state attorney general, Steve Six, to office after his predecessor resigned in a sex scandal. The governor also appointed State Treasurer Dennis McKinney to office after the old treasurer, a Republican, was elected to Congress.

That all leaves Kansas Democrats in an unusual position heading into 2010. They have lots of statewide officeholders, but no proven vote-getters. Parkinson was elected on a ticket with the popular Sebelius in 2006.

Both Six and McKinney say they’re inclined to seek a full-term at the offices they currently hold. If they win, they’ll help Kansas Democrats build the bench they currently lack. But, those decisions don’t solve the party’s immediate challenge, which is finding candidates for the governor’s race and the open Senate seat.

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