Is moving to Topeka the deal-breaker?

The Kansas City Star noted that 7 of 20 (actually, we count 19) major candidates for statewide office this year are either from Johnson County or have strong ties to it. That’s not so surprising, given that it’s now the state’s most populous county, having surpassed Sedgwick County as of the 2000 census. And Wichita can claim one of those same seven if it wants: Mark Parkinson, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ running mate, grew up here. Beyond that, though, Sedgwick County is represented by a mere two: Sen. Susan Wagle, running mate of Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Jim Barnett of Emporia, and Robert Beattie, a Democratic candidate for secretary of state.
Yes, winning would mean moving to Topeka — a deterrent for some dedicated down-staters. But shouldn’t any county with nearly half a million residents aspire to be better represented in its state’s top jobs?
Posted by Rhonda Holman

7 Comments

  1. ksfarmgrrl
    Posted June 15, 2006 at 1:39 pm | Permalink

    Oh come on! With leaders like terry and joe…

    ….why do you need representation?

    Hell, they have GOD’s ear.

    What people do they need in topeka? I mean other than fred, and bonbon, and susan, and brenda, and, well, you get the picture.

  2. Ben Huie
    Posted June 15, 2006 at 1:56 pm | Permalink

    The Republican Party in Sedgwick County is so dominated by the right wingnuts that they have little appeal statewide. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party in Sedgwick County is so ineffectual that it has little to offer by way of an alternative.

  3. atlasshrugged
    Posted June 15, 2006 at 6:33 pm | Permalink

    Keep watching the titles and the top jobs. You would be surprised what some are able to get done without a title. They also do it with little if no fanfare. So just keep looking at the titles and to jobs.

  4. Joe Williams
    Posted June 15, 2006 at 8:28 pm | Permalink

    Does that mean people like Bob Corkin can get a high paying and high profile job with no creditals?

  5. Apophis
    Posted June 15, 2006 at 8:33 pm | Permalink

    Bob “Corky” Corkins was hired for one purpose only by the fundamentalist conservatives on the State BOE. He was hired to move vouchers into Kansas, moving public tax dollars into religious schools and the private sector.

  6. Ben Huie
    Posted June 15, 2006 at 8:35 pm | Permalink

    Notice that we are now hiring people to do Corkins job for him.

  7. JWink
    Posted June 16, 2006 at 8:19 am | Permalink

    Moving to Topeka is not necessarily a requirement for state-wide politicos. For example, I suspect most Kansas Lieutenant Governors continue to live in their hometowns but possibly maintain an apartment in Topeka.

    As a matter of fact, some Kansas officials I have known actually live in Lawrence some 30 miles east of Topeka.

    I was told Governor Graves and wife, Linda Graves, lived in the Governor’s mansion in west Topeka and also in Lenexa so Linda could work at a law firm in the K.C. area.

    Regarding our four Kansas congressman, Jim Ryan who represents the district containing Topeka graduated from Wichita’s East High School. Presumably Congressman Dennis Moore, whose district includes Johnson County, was raised in Wichita because his father was a well-known lawyer here. Jerry Moran, who represents the district containing Hays and large parts of rural Kansas, while attending law school at K.U., I believe, and aspiring to a political career traveled a lot all over Kansas to attend political functions.

    As a long time resident of Johnson County, I know many Jo Co residents who were from the small towns in out-state Kansas before going to college and on to Kansas City area or Wichita to find jobs in their field. The old wives tale that an inherent feud exists between Johnson County and Wichita is malarkey as far as I am concerned. Of course differences do develop on individual issues.

    In other words, I don’t think a feeling of provincialism in regard to Kansas political representation is necessarily justified. Wichita probably does need better public relations with the rest of Kansas.