Democrats searching for 3rd District candidates

Kansas Democratic Party Chairman Larry Gates is focused on finding someone willing to be the Democratic candidate for the 3rd District congressional seat.

Gates said he has begun compiling a list of people he plans to contact and discuss the possibility of campaigning for the seat being vacated by six-term incumbent Dennis Moore, D-Lenexa.

“We’re going to start working on it on a more focused basis,” Gates said. “I’ve talked to people I thought would be good candidates, to ask them if they would consider it, and I know a couple of them are.”

The effort is clearly not a laughing matter for Gates, but to some whose names have been considered in various political circles, it does bring a chuckle or two.

Amid laughter, former Olathe District Schools Superintendent Ron Wimmer said he had been contacted about a possible run for the 3rd District.

“When they called me, I sort of laughed and said, ‘You have to be kidding, surely you have some other people a lot more qualified to do this other than me,’” Wimmer said.

Wimmer is in his second year as interim superintendent with the De Soto School District. He retired from Olathe in 2005 and in 2008 ran unsuccessfully against Julia Lynn, R-Olathe, for the Kansas Senate.

“I enjoyed running for office in many ways and in other ways it was enlightening,” Wimmer said. “I think (running for the 3rd District) probably would be more of a consideration if I were not engaged in something I really had my heart in.

“Last October when we began the discussion about finding a superintendent for next year, the board asked if I would stay another year and I indicated I would. That’s what I’m doing and I’m happy to be back doing something I know something about.”

Another Johnson County name some have mentioned as a possible 3^rd District candidate is Sue Storm, a former state representative and now 2^nd District representative on the Kansas State Board of Education.

She also laughed when asked if she is or would consider running for Congress.

“Anybody who knows me well at all knows that is not something that I would want to do,” she said. “I think they mention my name because I’ve been around a long time; I’m doing exactly what I want to do right now.”

At one time, former Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Carol Marinovich was thought to be a leading contender, but no longer.

“I’m not running for the 3rd District,” she said.

Her successor, Joe Reardon, also is being mentioned as a possible candidate. He did not return phone calls.

Gates said he would like to see a candidate officially declare, and he would like to see the Democrats avoid a primary if possible but added that it might be spring before someone decides to run.

“I think we’ll get a good candidate that will do well (in the election),” he said. “There are probably viable candidates in all three counties (Johnson, Wyandotte and Douglas). Douglas is a tougher call for some, but right now there are people in Wyandotte and Johnson counties who are looking at running.

“I think there could be a Democratic primary. We tend to discourage that, but it’s still a democracy and if two or three people decide they want to do it, I think (a primary) is the best way in the world to do things.”

Gates indicated there might be some people in the Legislature who would consider running after the session ends.

“That cuts it a little close, but there are so many issues in the Legislature right now that have to be addressed and to complicate things by having a candidacy in there is something that, if I were in their shoes, I would think that through a little bit,” he said.

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry

Comments (0)

Write comment