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A day after State Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, announced his candidacy for Kansas Governor, state Democrats started lining up to express their support.
That includes the man currently holding the job that Holland has started campaigning for.
“Tom has what it takes to be a great governor and I fully support him. Governors are CEOs of their states and as a successful small business owner, Tom’s experience in balancing the books and getting the most out of every penny is exactly what Kansas needs,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson. “Governors cannot govern on politics; they cannot bring our state together if they are focused on pushing people to the political extremes. That’s why Tom is the right person at the right time; his pragmatic, common sense leadership is the better choice this election.”
Parkinson has stated over and over that he will not run for the office he has held since former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius stepped down to become President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In a state where Republicans have a better than 3-to-2 margin of registered voters and, tossing in the fact that Kansas has never elected two Democrat governors back to back, it could prove to be an uphill campaign for Holland, who is now one of three Democrats in the race to face U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, the lone Republican entrant in the gubernatorial race.
The others are Herbert West III, of Paola, who was defeated in his bid for Miami County Sheriff in 2008, and Marty Mork, of Wichita, an unsuccessful congressional candidate in 2004 and 2006. Neither West or Mork have gained the support of the state’s Democrat Party.
But Holland clearly sewed that up on Thursday.
State Democrat leaders said that Brownback will bring Washington-style politics to Kansas.
“Tom’s the real deal and he can win this election,” said Lt. Governor Troy Findley. “Tom appeals to Republicans, Democrats, Independents and first-time voters. He hasn’t been in Washington for 16 years, he’s been here - building a business, raising his family and serving his community. Tom knows that at the end of the day we can’t balance our budget by destroying schools and emptying our small towns. For voters looking for a moderate, down-to-earth name on the ballot this year - that name is Tom Holland.”
Currently, Brownback has raised over $1 million in funds for the campaign and, under state law, Holland will have to start fundraising from scratch.
“No one will work harder in this election cycle - or for Kansas - than Tom Holland,” said House Democrat Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence. “Faced with a devastating budget crisis, we need a governor who will be at work early and stay late fighting for Kansas families. This is not the type of work ethic Sam Brownback has ever demonstrated amid his perpetual campaigns for higher office. In fact, Senator Brownback's attendance record in the United States Senate is downright embarrassing.”
There was also notice of Holland’s previous electoral success. He won a House seat in 2002 after defeating veteran Republican Rep. Ralph Tanner, of Baldwin City, and he won his current State Senate seat after beating Republican Sen. Roger Pine, of Lawrence, in 2008.
Despite the projected uphill battle, Holland said that he would not have gotten into the race if he did not think there was a realistic chance to win.
“If I get into the race, it is because I want to do it and I think it is winnable,” Holland told The Morning Sun.
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
A day after State Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, announced his candidacy for Kansas Governor, state Democrats started lining up to express their support.
That includes the man currently holding the job that Holland has started campaigning for.
“Tom has what it takes to be a great governor and I fully support him. Governors are CEOs of their states and as a successful small business owner, Tom’s experience in balancing the books and getting the most out of every penny is exactly what Kansas needs,” said Gov. Mark Parkinson. “Governors cannot govern on politics; they cannot bring our state together if they are focused on pushing people to the political extremes. That’s why Tom is the right person at the right time; his pragmatic, common sense leadership is the better choice this election.”
Parkinson has stated over and over that he will not run for the office he has held since former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius stepped down to become President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.
In a state where Republicans have a better than 3-to-2 margin of registered voters and, tossing in the fact that Kansas has never elected two Democrat governors back to back, it could prove to be an uphill campaign for Holland, who is now one of three Democrats in the race to face U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, the lone Republican entrant in the gubernatorial race.
The others are Herbert West III, of Paola, who was defeated in his bid for Miami County Sheriff in 2008, and Marty Mork, of Wichita, an unsuccessful congressional candidate in 2004 and 2006. Neither West or Mork have gained the support of the state’s Democrat Party.
But Holland clearly sewed that up on Thursday.
State Democrat leaders said that Brownback will bring Washington-style politics to Kansas.
“Tom’s the real deal and he can win this election,” said Lt. Governor Troy Findley. “Tom appeals to Republicans, Democrats, Independents and first-time voters. He hasn’t been in Washington for 16 years, he’s been here - building a business, raising his family and serving his community. Tom knows that at the end of the day we can’t balance our budget by destroying schools and emptying our small towns. For voters looking for a moderate, down-to-earth name on the ballot this year - that name is Tom Holland.”
Currently, Brownback has raised over $1 million in funds for the campaign and, under state law, Holland will have to start fundraising from scratch.
“No one will work harder in this election cycle - or for Kansas - than Tom Holland,” said House Democrat Leader Paul Davis, D-Lawrence. “Faced with a devastating budget crisis, we need a governor who will be at work early and stay late fighting for Kansas families. This is not the type of work ethic Sam Brownback has ever demonstrated amid his perpetual campaigns for higher office. In fact, Senator Brownback's attendance record in the United States Senate is downright embarrassing.”
There was also notice of Holland’s previous electoral success. He won a House seat in 2002 after defeating veteran Republican Rep. Ralph Tanner, of Baldwin City, and he won his current State Senate seat after beating Republican Sen. Roger Pine, of Lawrence, in 2008.
Despite the projected uphill battle, Holland said that he would not have gotten into the race if he did not think there was a realistic chance to win.
“If I get into the race, it is because I want to do it and I think it is winnable,” Holland told The Morning Sun.
Matthew Clark can be reached at matthew.clark@morningsun.net or at 620-231-2600, Ext. 140
