Now that Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has edged out Gov. Jeff Colyer for the Republican nomination for governor, I am becoming increasingly convinced that Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly is going to be the next governor.
As loathsome as Kobach is, it’s important for those of us who ache for a resounding shake-up in Kansas government to take the longer view. Kelly, a state senator the last 13 years, strikes me as a latter-day Kathleen Sebelius, that is, a moderate Democrat who understands government and makes sense.
Laura Kelly
Kelly, 68, has a much better chance of defeating Kobach than she did Colyer, who is more moderate than Kobach but does not strike me as willing or able to lift Kansas out of the quicksand.
Keep in mind it was Colyer — not former Gov. Sam Brownback — who led the effort to privatize Medicaid, birthing the certifiable disaster known as KanCare.
Of course, even if she wins, Kelly would be stuck with a Republican-dominated Legislature, but at least she would project a much more professional image for Kansas nationally, and she would be able to make some improvements through regulatory changes.
Kelly has a wealth of life and political experience. She was born in New York City and comes from a Republican military family. She studied at Bradley University in Peoria, IL, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in psychology. She went on to get a master’s of science degree in therapeutic recreation at Indiana University.
She moved to Salina in the mid-1980s and is married to a physician, Ted Daughety. They have two grown daughters and live in Topeka.
From 1988 to 2004, Kelly served as executive director of the Kansas Recreation and Park Association, a non-profit that represents myriad agencies with the aim of “improving the quality of life in Kansas by providing high quality park and recreation services.”
In her 2004 state Senate race, Kelly prevailed by just 98 votes. She credited her victory to campaigning throughout her district in Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties, including rural areas.
As a senator, her successes include advocating for the establishment and funding of Early Childhood Development Block Grants, which she says have prepared thousands of Kansas children for kindergarten. Last fall, her prodding contributed to the revelation that more than 70 children were missing from the state’s foster care system. That bombshell led to the ouster of Phyllis Gilmore as leader of the woebegone Department for Children and Families (DCF).
In a July 15 profile of Kelly, Wichita Eagle reporter Jonathan Shorman said Kelly has become one of the most prominent Democratic lawmakers in Topeka, serving as the highest-ranking Democrat on two budget committees and a health and welfare committee. Her status, Shorman wrote, “puts her squarely in the middle of discussions over spending and social services, such as Medicaid.”
Kelly is hoping to become the third woman to serve as Kansas governor, after Joan Finney and, of course, Sebelius.
Kelly and Sebelius are good friends, having met after Kelly moved to Topeka. They were neighbors for years, and Sebelius encouraged Kelly to enter the governor’s race and has endorsed her.
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From arm’s length, Kelly looks like a substantive, no-nonsense politician who doesn’t shrink from hard work and has Kansans’ best interests at heart.
I’m certainly no expert on Kansas politics, but I would expect Kelly to win handily in Johnson, Shawnee (Topeka), Sedgwick (Wichita) and Douglas (Lawrence) counties and do well enough in the rural areas to prevail.
I know Kobach has deep support in the reddest, most regressive, parts of the state, but I can’t believe — just can’t believe — a majority of Kansas voters will make Kris Kobach the state’s next governor.
Show Me, Kansans, you aren’t that dumb.
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Here’s a link to Kelly’s campaign website.
