It’s officially a race.
Democrat Tom Wiggans filed paperwork with the state today to begin a campaign for Kansas Governor.
The political newcomer faces U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican, in next year’s election.
Wiggans still hasn’t spoken out about his interest in running for governor, but today a spokeswoman emailed this statement:
“Now more than ever as our state and our families deal with this difficult economic climate, we need a successful business leader in the Governor’s office.
“I have never run for political office before, but what I have done is started and managed businesses, balanced budgets and created jobs. This experience makes me the best candidate to lead our state through this financial storm, create economic growth and good-paying jobs and keep our young people in Kansas.
“Our state needs a Governor who can speak the language of business, jobs and prosperity – not a career politician like Senator Brownback who’s spent nearly 15 years in Washington, D.C. as Congress added over $7 trillion to our national debt.”Kansans deserve a full-time Governor – someone who will remain committed to the job. In 2007 while Senator Brownback was running for President, he missed thirty-one-percent of the votes cast in the Senate. Brownback had the seventh-worst attendance record of all one hundred United States Senators. If the rest of us missed work thirty-one percent of the time, we’d be fired. Yet, like too many career politicians, Sam Brownback thinks missing work ought to earn him a promotion.
“The election for Governor is nearly one year away and I look forward to hearing from thousands of Kansans about their priorities and offering voters a clear choice in the race for Governor
Never heard of Wiggans? Here you go:
Wiggans, a pharmaceutical executive, was born in Fredonia, Kan. and educated at the University of Kansas. He’s an Eagle Scout.
Most recently he was CEO of Peplin, Inc., a which is developing products for skin cancer. The corporation was recently acquired by a Danish company. He’s worked for a variety of companies before that, starting at Eli Lilly.
He’s Chairman of the Board of the Biotechnology Institute, and he’s served on the Advisory Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies in D.C.
Wiggans now lives in Olathe. He’s married to Kathryn Wiggans, a nurse. They have two teenage daughters, Liz and Amanda.
His public service background includes being a member of the KU Endowment Association, a member of the Kansas Innovation Consortium, an eco devo group, an advisor to the Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation at the KU Medical Center, and a member of the Advisory Board of Heartland Bioventures, the venture capital arm of the Kansas Bioscience Authority.
10 Comments
just say NO to dumbocrats. they are idiots.
Tom Wiggans probably believes in the same things Barack HUSSEIN Obama believes in. Don’t give this hack your vote.
Anybody but Sam Brokeback!
Well, Wiggans proves that old man Barnum was right. There is sucker born every minute. This poor guy, if he were to graps the Demo nomination, will be crushed by Brownback in the general election. My advice to Mr. Wiggans is to save his money and put his time to better use.
is that he just became a Kansas Democrat on July 14, 2009… before that he was registered as a Republican in California for 20 years…so has he ever voted in Kansas?
also, just bought that condo in Olathe last spring and still owns his multi-million dollar home in Atherton, California where his wife and youngest daughter still live, work and go to school
one other thing, interesting to look at the politicians and groups he has given money to: George W. Bush, RNC, Mitt Romney, Rudy Guliani, John McCain, and Barack Obama (that donation to Barack came just the week before the 08 election…)
I’m sure much more will come out about Wiggans… but is it just me or does this guy’s record read like a carpet bagging opportunist????
What’s wrong with name HUSSEIN ICT? It’s not “Mark” or “Herb”. Is that your point? Gosh, the ignorance and not-so-thinly-veiled bigotry around here is tiring. Yes, it would be a bad idea to vote for a non-politician, someone that can bring business sense and common sense to the Governor’s office. Instead, just go ahead and vote for Brokeback, the career politician who couldn’t get noticed in his presidential run because he’s a right wing religious zealot nutcase. He’s probably more like you anyway. Do you know his middle name?
Dunno, he can’t run up debt like Brownback so he probably won’t be that popular with Republicans.
One of millions of Republicans who changed parties.. And he lived in the most populous state in the nation! The one where most high-tech firms are located!! Outrageous!!
Well oh Sam isn’t any prime contender. I don’t recall one thing he has done to help the people of Kansas.
Boy am I impressed, he’s an Eagle Scout. Guess that’s better than a Community Organizer. He has also had a real job, before. That’s a switch !!