2008 An eventful year in Kansas politics
Saturday, December 27, 2008
TOPEKA — Significant events in Kansas politics in 2008:
January
18: Gov. Kathleen Sebelius appoints Douglas County District Judge Steve Six as attorney general, replacing Paul Morrison, who leaves Jan. 31 after disclosing an extramarital affair.
28: Sebelius gives the Democratic response to Republican President Bush’s final State of the Union address.
29: Sebelius endorses Obama during a rally in El Dorado, the hometown of one of Obama’s grandfathers.
February
5: Obama wins the state’s Democratic presidential caucuses, receiving 72 percent of the vote. More than 33,000 Kansans participate, three times as many as party officials had expected, overwhelming some caucus sites.
9: Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee wins the state’s GOP presidential caucuses easily, capturing 60 percent of the vote to 24 percent for John McCain. But McCain, the Arizona senator, already is the presumed GOP nominee.
March
11: Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline appoints two special prosecutors to investigate whether Morrison broke any laws during his extramarital affair. Kline, a Republican, is a former attorney general who lost his bid for re-election in 2006 to Morrison.
April
29: Former U.S. Rep. Jim Slattery, a Democrat, kicks off his campaign for the U.S. Senate. He’ll challenge Republican incumbent Pat Roberts.
May
28: Sebelius’ office confirms that Dr. George Tiller, a Wichita abortion provider facing misdemeanor charges, attended an April 2007 reception at the governor’s residence.
June
9: Both have been campaigning for months, but former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun and State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins file for the Republican nomination in the 2nd Congressional District of eastern Kansas. The winner will face Democratic Rep. Nancy Boyda.
10: Kline files for the Republican nomination for Johnson County district attorney, seeking a full, four-year term. In the primary, he faces Steve Howe, a former assistant DA.
July
22: In the most memorable moment of their GOP primary race, Jenkins calls Ryun “babe” during a televised debate. Ryun notes that as a legislator, Jenkins voted for tax increases in 2002 and Jenkins blames unfunded federal mandates: “We were at your mercy, babe.”
August
5: Primary Election Day. Jenkins defeats Ryun for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District. Kline loses to Howe in the GOP primary for Johnson County DA.
23: Obama’s campaign confirms that his pick for vice president is Delaware Sen. Joe Biden, ending weeks of speculation about Sebelius as a potential choice.
25-28: Democrats hold their national convention in Denver. Sebelius speaks.
September
1-4: Republicans hold their national convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, who ran unsuccessfully for the GOP nomination, dropped out and endorsed McCain, speaks.
October
1: Jenkins and Boyda participate in the first of three televised debates.
15: During a debate in Johnson County, Slattery blames Roberts for the Iraq war because of Roberts’ past tenure as Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman. Roberts calls the statement irresponsible.
November
4: General Election Day. McCain carries Kansas but Obama receives 41.6 percent of the vote, the best showing of by a Democratic presidential nominee in 20 years. Jenkins captures the 2nd District seat with 51 percent of the vote, ousting Boyda. Howe wins the Johnson County DA’s race against Democrat Rick Guinn. Roberts easily wins a third U.S. Senate term.
7: U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran, a Republican who easily won another term representing the 1st District of western Kansas, begins raising money for a race for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Moran will seek the seat held by Brownback, who’s not expected to run again.
18: Sebelius appoints Kansas House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, a Greensburg Democrat, to replace Jenkins as state treasurer.
21: Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt, a Republican representing the 4th District of south-central Kansas, says he’s “very serious” about running for the Senate in 2010.
December
1: Republican Kansas House members and members-elect designate state Rep. Mike O’Neal, of Hutchinson, as speaker for 2009-10, unseating incumbent Speaker Melvin Neufeld, of Ingalls.
6: Sebelius removes herself from consideration for a post in Obama’s Cabinet after weeks of speculation.
17: The two special prosecutors appointed by Kline announce they won’t file criminal charges against Morrison.
18: Brownback confirms publicly that he won’t seek another Senate term in 2010. He’s expected to run for governor that year, but he declines to discuss his plans.