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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu
Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

K-STATE POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR SAYS 2010 LIKELY TO PROVIDE ELECTION DRAMA IN KANSAS

by Katie Mayes

 

The outcome of the 2008 national election will intensify the political drama in Kansas -- but not until 2010, according to Joe Aistrup, professor and head of Kansas State University's department of political science.

Aistrup, an expert in Kansas and American politics, said that if Barack Obama is elected to the White House, Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius "will have a cabinet position with her name on it, if she wants it." Sebelius was a vice-presidential possibility for Obama.

Should the governor accept such a position, a chain of events will follow that will make the 2010 elections in Kansas more interesting to watch, Aistrup said.

In the immediate term, Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson would assume the governorship, an office he will likely run for in 2010, Aistrup said. Parkinson then most likely face U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican, who has said publicly that he'll pursue the seat.

Aistrup said assuming the governorship would improve Parkinson's political standing and would be an advantage for him in 2010.

"Assuming the role of governor will give him a nice stage to stand on when he runs in 2010," Aistrup said. "Gov. Parkinson would certainly command a much brighter media spotlight than Lt. Gov. Parkinson."

However, Parkinson may have some challenges uniting the Democratic party since he changed parties to join Sebelius' gubernatorial ticket. Prior to that, he was a longtime Republican and served as chair of the state GOP.

On the Republican side, Aistrup said Brownback also would be a formidable challenger.

Brownback is well known and ideologically closer to the large number of conservative voters in Kansas. But religious conservatives like Brownback haven't fared well lately in Kansas' political climate, Aistrup said, noting Phill Kline's loss in the 2006 state attorney general's race and his recent defeat in the Republican primary for Johnson County district attorney.

Aistrup said that the 2010 race for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Brownback also could prove interesting with a possible match up between Sebelius and 1st District U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, a Republican.

"Regardless of whether Sebelius is governor or a member of Obama's cabinet, she'll run up against a long Kansas tradition -- at least since the Great Depression -- of never electing a Democrat to the U.S. Senate -- though, that's not to say it can't be done," he said.

And though Moran is very popular in the mostly rural 1st District, he is not as well known among voters in Kansas' urban centers, Aistrup said.

"This will be a race to watch and enjoy between two seasoned politicians with similar dispositions but different policy prescriptions," he said.

If Sebelius doesn't run for the Senate seat, a viable Democratic challenger will be difficult to find, Aistrup said.