“Conservatives across this country are yearning for principled conservatives in Washington,” Ashcroft, attorney general under former President George W. Bush, said in a statement. “I feel strongly that Todd Tiahrt can help provide that common sense conservative leadership in the Senate.”

Tiahrt is seeking the Republican nomination to the seat being vacated next year by Sen. Sam Brownback, who is running for governor. Kansas Republican Rep. Jerry Moran is also seeking the seat.

Ashcroft, a former Missouri governor, served one term in the Senate. He also explored a run for president prior to the 2000 campaign.

The Republican congressman’s office announced Wednesday that the application process for the spring 2010 term was open.

“My own interest in public service was sparked by a congressional internship in 1974,” Moran said in the written announcement. “As an intern, I was able to see firsthand how a congressional office operates and observe the legislative process.”

Moran represents the 1st Congressional District and is running for the U.S. Senate seat which Republican Sam Brownback is vacating to run for Kansas Governor in 2010. Moran is running against 4th Congressional Dist. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, R-Goddard, for the Republican Senate nomination.

Applications for the spring are due by Friday, October 16, 2009. Intern responsibilities include assisting Moran and his staff with legislative and administrative projects. The spring internship session begins in January and ends in May.

To apply for an internship, students should submit a completed application form, cover letter, résumé, college transcript and three letters of reference. The cover letter should explain the student’s interest in public service and the goals the student hopes to achieve by participating.

Application forms can be obtained under the “Services” section of Moran’s Web site. In order to ensure timely receipt of the application, students are encouraged to fax their applications to (202) 225-5124. If students are unable to fax their applications, they may mail them to Moran’s Hutchinson office, Attn: Intern Coordinator, P.O. Box 1128, Hutchinson, KS 67504. Students may call (202) 225-2715 with questions or to obtain more information.

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!

State Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, decided not to run and endorsed Mike Pompeo, president of Sentry International, an oilfield and industrial machinery company, and a Republican national committeeman.

McGinn said she plans to focus on projects on her family’s farm and on local issues.

Pompeo and State Sen. Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, are the only Republican candidates to file for the seat thus far.

Kelsey recently drew an endorsement from former Kansas republican gubernatorial candidate Dr. Ken Canfield.

Other names that have been floated for the Republican side of the race include state Rep. Steve Brunk, R-Bel Aire; state Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita; state Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt, R-Independence; and Wichita businessman and entrepreneur Wink Hartman.

Shenanigans blog on the website Politico poked fun at U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt’s

“And by “adorable” we mean, not really,” the site snarked.

The Goddard Republican, who was first elected to Congress in 1995, has used the logo – a “T” with a “heart” in previous successful elections. Tiahrt is hoping to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, who is running for governor. Tiahrt is running against Republican U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran.

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.

Moran

Tiahrt

U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, who is running for the Senate, announced today that he is launching a House YouTube Web site so Kansans can “know about the work I am doing on their behalf.”

His opponent in the Senate race, U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, set up a similar site nearly year ago. Mostly, the sites feature video of the congressmen making speeches on the House floor. In just under a year, Tiahrt’s site has gained 14 subscribers and has had 461 channel views. Moran started his site March 18; by Friday morning, it had 46 views. Both Moran’s campaign and Tiahrt’s campaign set up YouTube sites last year. By Friday, Moran’s had seven subscribers to Tiahrt’s four.

The Goddard Republican is entering everyone who joins his “Kelsey for Congress 2010 Club” by March 31 into a drawing for a family vacation to Beaver Lake in Arkansas.

A $20.10 donation gets you in the club. Membership perks include exclusive invitations to 2010 events and email updates on the campaign.

Kelsey is the first candidate to toss his hat in the ring for the seat that Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt is vacating to run for U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, a Republican, is stepping down and plans to run for governor in 2010.