Ryun represented the 2nd Congressional District until he was ousted by former Rep. Nancy Boyda, a Democrat.

Tiahrt, a Goddard Republican, is running against fellow Republican Rep. Jerry Moran, who currently represents the 1st Congressional District which encompasses most of western Kansas.

The two are hoping to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, who is stepping down and running for Kansas governor in 2010.

Below is Ryun’s endorsement letter.

Dear Fellow Kansas Republican,

I served with both candidates currently running for the U.S. Senate seat in Kansas. I strongly endorse Todd Tiahrt.

Todd and Vicki were instrumental in getting me to run for Congress in 1996 and became a close friend and ideological ally as we fought for fiscal restraint and policies that protected life and traditional family values.

Kansans and most Americans want a conservative leader they can trust. They also want a leader who will fight the tough fights and get things done.

If you were in a difficult situation and needed help, the choice would be clear – you would want Todd Tiahrt standing with you.

That is why I am asking you to support Todd today.

Our country is in a difficult situation, and we need leaders who are willing to fight for our values, stand up against difficult odds and not cower in the face of tough votes.

Kansans and conservatives across the nation need Todd Tiahrt in the U.S. Senate to fight the liberal agenda being pushed by President Obama and Speaker Pelosi.

It is not enough to vote the right way most of the time. We need someone who will stand up and speak clearly and strongly for our Kansas values. We have no use for another politician who fades into the background out of fear that he will offend someone and not win 80 percent of the vote in his next election against token opposition.

Whenever I needed assistance on a project I was working on for the 2nd District of Kansas, I would turn to Todd. He has the respect of leadership and his colleagues, and as a result, has been one of the most effective members of the Kansas congressional delegation ever.

Todd was the member of the delegation to get Kansas exempted from the onerous “Wright Amendment,” which made airfares from Wichita to Dallas some of the most expensive in the nation. In just his second term in office, Todd accomplished what many others before him could not.

Todd is also respected because he is consistent and loyal. If he gives you his word, you can take it to the bank. That cannot be said about all of my former colleagues.

That respect and effectiveness may be why my former colleague former Speaker Dennis Hastert has joined me in endorsing Todd. We have worked with both candidates, and we know who will consistently fight for conservative values and get things done.

If I had never met Todd Tiahrt in my life, I would be supporting him for the U.S. Senate because of his record and his long list of accomplishments for Kansas.

Having the benefit of knowing him, knowing how he deals with tragedy and triumph, I can honestly tell you there is no better person for this job for Kansans and true conservatives everywhere.

We need Todd Tiahrt in the U.S. Senate.

Every year in January when we were in Washington, D.C. for the March for Life, I could always count on Todd Tiahrt and Sam Brownback to join me in braving the harsh cold winter weather to encourage pro-lifers from around the country and especially those stalwarts from Kansas, who always seemed to manage to be up front.

Todd is not ashamed of what he believes in, which is why we believe in him.

Please join my wife Anne and me in supporting Todd Tiahrt for the U.S. Senate.

Sincerely,

Jim Ryun

P.S. Please help Todd by sending a contribution to his campaign today!

His campaign says he plans to file for the office Thursday, filling out the necessary paperwork at 10 a.m. at the Sedgwick County Courthouse, the AP says.

Tiahrt will be the second Republican to file for the U.S. Senate seat held by Sen. Sam Brownback, who plans to run for governor. Rep. Jerry Moran also has filed, setting up a Republican primary in August 2010.

According to a new report by the United States Public Interest Research Group, Kansas is one of 12 states that is doing well. Kansas, and the other states PIRG rated well, has “outside oversight, meaningful conflict of interest rules, protection against arbitrary removal of commissioners, an open complaint process, full investigative authority and full disclosure of complaints filed and actions taken.”

Here’s their assessment: “The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission is a nine member body. The Governor appoints two members; the Chief Justice of the state Supreme Court, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and the majority and minority party leaders of the state legislature also appoint one each. There is a five year ‘cooling off’ period before party officials, candidates and lobbyists may serve on the commission. Commissioners are appointed to two year terms.

“The commission may initiate an investigation based on an outside complaint or a complaint filed by commission staff. Anyone may file a complaint, and all hearings of the commission are open to the public. In 2006, the commission reviewed approximately 35 complaints and issued 15 fines.”

That’s better than most states, and “far ahead of Congress in establishing independent ethics enforcement for legislators,” according to the report.

On another Kansas ethics note, Rep. Todd Tiahrt was appointed recently to the congressional ethics commission.