Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly picked fellow Senator and former longtime Wichita school board member Lynn Rogers as her running mate in the Kansas governor’s race.
“Lynn will be a lieutenant governor who serves every family, every business, every community making our state better,” Kelly said Thursday morning during a stop at the Wyandot Center in Wyandotte County.
“Lynn has been fighting for our schools for decades,” Kelly said. “He ran for the state Senate in 2016 because he knew the schools in our community deserved better than what they were getting.”
Kelly touted Rogers’ efforts to reverse the Sam Brownback-era tax cuts to provide the resources needed for education.
She also cited his statewide work – Rogers is retired banker – helping farmers and ranchers with financial planning and investments as an indication of how well he knows the state.
“He knows every corner of this state,” she said. “As a businessman and a parent, he knows that every single Kansas child deserves a world-class education no matter where they grow up. His commitment to our teachers and our students make him the right choice to help lead Kansas into its next chapter.”
The emphasis on Rogers’ work across the state is in contrast to former Democratic state Rep. Josh Svaty who has been touting his western Kansas roots as he campaigns for governor.
Kelly announced Rogers as her lieutenant governor pick in a two-day tour that started Thursday morning at Topeka High School.
She made a stop in Kansas City, Kan., and had scheduled a swing through Pittsburg and Wichita later today. The ticket was planning to be in Dodge City, Liberal and Garden City on Friday.
Rogers, 59, was elected to the state Senate in 2016. He served for more than 16 years on the Wichita Board of Education.
Rogers and his wife, Kris, live in Wichita and have three children.
Kelly’s announcement leaves Republican Jim Barnett of Emporia as the only candidate to have not announced a running mate.
Svaty picked former Blackhawk pilot Katrina Lewison of Manhattan as his running mate. Former Democratic Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer chose former Gardner Mayor Chris Morrow. Independent candidate Greg Orman selected state Sen. John Doll.
On the Republican side, Gov. Jeff Colyer named Tracey Mann as his lieutenant governor and running mate. And Secretary of State Kris Kobach tapped Wichita businessman Wink Hartman as his running mate. Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer chose Goodland businesswoman Jenifer Sanderson as his running mate,
