Kathleen Sebelius
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Sebelius was briefly mentioned as a possible running mate for 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, though she remained adamant that her governorship was the central and only focus of her political life.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
She is currently Vice Chair for Policy for the Democratic Governors Association.
Early life and family
Sebelius was born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. She attended Trinity Washington University, a Roman Catholic university in Washington, D.C., and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas. She moved to Kansas in 1974 at the age of 26, where she served for eight years as a representative in the Kansas Legislature and eight years as Insurance Commissioner before being elected governor.Sebelius is the daughter of former Ohio governor John J. Gilligan, and thus they became the first father/daughter governor pair in the United States after her election. Her husband Gary Sebelius is a federal magistrate judge and the son of former U.S. Representative Keith Sebelius. They have two sons, Ned (b. 1981) and John (b. 1984). Sebelius often visits her father in her hometown of Cincinnati, along with her sister, Ellen, who lives in Cincinnati as well. They are often joined by her brother, who lives in Columbus with his wife. She also visits her childhood and current vacation home, located in Leland, Michigan, north of Traverse City, Michigan.
Sebelius is a Roman Catholic.
Early political career
She was first elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1986. In 1994, she "left the House to run for state insurance commissioner and stunned political forecasters by winning--the first time a Democrat had won in more than 100 years. She is credited with bringing the agency out from under the influence of the insurance industry. She refused to take campaign contributions from insurers and blocked the proposed merger of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, the state's largest health insurer, with an Indiana-based company. The decision by Sebelius marked the first time the corporation had been rebuffed in its acquisition attempts."
Governorship
2002 election
After defeating Republican Tim Shallenburger in the 2002 election by a vote of 53%-45%. Sebelius' victory was partially the result of a bitter divide between conservatives and moderates within the Kansas Republican Party. This divide is touched upon in Thomas Frank's bestseller What's the Matter with Kansas?. Since winning election, Sebelius has successfully built upon her popularity and as of January 2006 was one of the most popular governors in the country.SurveyUSA (2006). [Governor Approval Ratings 01/06 Sort by State]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.Sebelius caused some controversy during the campaign when she was quoted as saying, "The roads in Missouri are much more terrifying to me than the attacks on the World Trade Center because I really did think my life was far more at risk." She subsequently apologized in public for her remarks.washingtonpost.com (2004). [John Kerry campaign: Democratic candidates for vice president]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
Gun ownership laws
While a responsible hunter herself[[Citing sources citation needed]], she vetoed, like her Republican predecessor Bill Graves, a concealed carry law that would have allowed guns to be carried into the Statehouse, churches, and private establishments against the wishes of the property owner.Gunshopfinder.com (2005). [KANSAS GOVERNOR VETOES CONCEALED CARRY BILL]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
In her veto message, Sebelius said she supports Kansans' right to own firearms but does not believe a broad concealed carry law would make them safer. "I don't believe allowing people to carry concealed handguns into sporting events, shopping malls, grocery stores, or the workplace would be good public policy. And to me the likelihood of exposing children to loaded handguns in their parents purses, pockets and automobiles is simply unacceptable."
On March 21, 2006, she vetoed Senate Bill 418, a similar concealed carry bill. However, on March 25, Sebelius' veto was overturned after the Kansas House of Representatives voted 91-33 to override it. This followed the Kansas Senate's 30-10 override vote, which occurred the day after her veto.Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (2006). [Kansas Concealed Weapon]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
Other views
After the Kansas economy reached its lowest point in over a decade early in her term, the economy has since experienced 22 months of continuous job growth. Kansas has thrice balanced the budget, and not raised taxes significantly during her term.[[Citing sources citation needed]]Sebelius did not support the April 2005 amendment that would make gay marriage in Kansas unconstitutional. Sebelius said she "supported the existing state law and viewed it as sufficient, " [Sebelius on gay marriage]. Retrieved June 5, 2006. and therefore opposed any such amendment.
Despite being a Catholic, Sebelius is pro-choice when it comes to abortion and a supporter of Roe v. Wade. Sebelius also does not support capital punishment; during her term as governor, the Kansas capital punishment laws were declared unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court.
In 2006, Sebelius approved a controversial state education budget that largely benefits rural and impoverished areas of Kansas while doing little to benefit more established and affluent districts. Not one Representative from Kansas' wealthiest county, Johnson County, voted in favor of the budget, as the budget charges higher taxes for residents of more affluent school districts even though those districts will not see the same budget increases that more rural and impoverished districts will receive.
2006 re-election campaign
On May 26, 2006, Sebelius formally announced her candidacy for re-election. Four days later, Mark Parkinson, former Kansas state GOP Party Chairman switched his party affiliation to Democrat; the following day Sebelius announced that Parkinson will be her running mate. Parkinson had previously served in the state House from 1991-92 and the Senate from 1993-97. This was somewhat reminiscent of the fact that John Moore had also been a Republican, before switching just days prior to joining Sebelius as her running mate.
She is being challenged by seven Republicans - Kansas State Senator Jim Barnett, father's right advocate Ken Canfield, former member of the Kansas House of Representatives Rex Crowell, attorney Tim Pickell, Libertarian Party politician Dennis Hawver, perennial candidate Richard "Rode" Rodewald, and former Kansas House of Representative Speaker Robin Jennison. An April 15, 2006 Rasmussen poll showed her leading both Barnett and Jennison in an election.Rasmussen Reports (2006). [Kansas Governor: Sebelius Lead Expands]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
Speculation on political future
During the 2004 election, Sebelius was often named as a potential running mate for John Kerry.CNN (2004). [John Kerry campaign: Democratic candidates for vice president]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.CNN (2004). [WHO WILL JOHN KERRY PICK AS HIS RUNNING MATE?]. Retrieved April 25, 2006. In May 2004, Kerry accepted an invitation from Sebelius to attend a Governor’s Proclamation Ceremony in Topeka to mark the 50th anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision.Office of the Governor of Kansas (2004). [Governor Sebelius to welcome Senator John Kerry to Kansas]. Retrieved April 25, 2006. In the aftermath of Kerry's defeat in the 2004 presidential election, some pundits named Sebelius as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2008. Some of Sebelius' political leanings, including support for abortion rights and opposition to capital punishment, are unusual for a governor of Kansas, and many contend that her appeal would be broad among Midwesterners.[[Citing sources citation needed]]She has been mentioned by political commentators as a possible Vice Presidential nominee in the 2008 election.
It is possible that — building on her ability to win statewide election in Kansas, a heavily Republican state — in 2010 she may seek to become the first Democrat from Kansas to serve in the United States Senate since 1939. List_of_United_States_Senators_from_Kansas Sam Brownback, current Senator from Kansas, a rumored prospective candidate for the 2008 presidential election, currently occupies that seat, and has vowed not to serve beyond the two terms he has already been elected to.
Recognition
In 2001, Sebelius was named as one of Governing Magazine's' Public Officials of the Year while she was serving as Kansas Insurance Commissioner.In November 2005, Time named Sebelius as one of the five best governors in America, praising her for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited, ferreting out waste in state government, and strongly supporting public education - all without raising taxes. Also praised was her bipartisan approach to governing.Time (2006). [America's 5 Best Governors: Kathleen Sebelius | Kansas]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
In February 2006, the White House Project named Sebelius one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008.The White House Project (2006). [Who are the 8 for '08?] Retrieved June 1, 2006.
References
External links
- [Kansas Office of the Governor - Kathleen Sebelius]
- [2006 campaign website]
- Trinity Washington University (2006). [Profile: Kathleen Sebelius '70]. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
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