UPDATE: This morning we learned from the Wichita Eagle’s Kansas government blog, the WichiTopekington, that State Sen. Susan Wagle would be announcing a run for KS-04 this afternoon. Now it appears, however, that the WichiTopekington, is reporting that Wagle, instead, just wanted to pass out a little crazy, endorsing Kansas GOP National Committeeman for the KS-04 Congressional seat.
Things didn’t appear right to us at Forward Kansas. As we noted, if Wagle decided to wage a bid for the KS-04 Congressional seat this late in the game, she’d be at a huge fundraising disadvantage (see below). More importantly, Wagle’s divisive politics wouldn’t play well in the KS-04 district. After nearly two decade’s of Tiahrt’s divisiveness, KS-04 voters are looking for a change and now is the opportunity to make that change.
Apparently, Wink Hartman, also a Republican in the KS-04 primary race, was none to happy about the endorsement, saying:
“Today, one career politician endorsed another political insider. Republicans are now powerless in Washington because career politicians and political insiders said one thing and then did another. If we want our government to change, then we have to stop sending those same career politicians to Washington.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
From the Wichita Eagle’s government blog, the WichiTopekigton:
State Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, plans to announce whether she’ll enter the expanding race for the 4th District Congressional seat today.
The announcement is at 2 p.m. at the Wichita Area Builders Association, giving a pretty clear indication she’s entering the race — perhaps with some help from developers.
This isn’t really a fresh piece of news. Back in December 2008, KJ highlighted the Republican field for KS-04 and predicted that Wagle would likely run for the seat. It is surprising that Wagle decided now, this late in the game, after two other sitting Kansas state senators, Dick Kelsey, R-Goddard, and Jean Schodorf, R-Wichita, have decided also to make the run for the KS-04 seat.
Wagle is at a huge fundraising disadvantage, with Mike Pompeo having more than $270,000 in the bank, Dick Kelsey spotting himself over $220,000, Wink Harman being capable of self-funding his entire race, and Raj Goyle having over $375,000 in the bank.
Wagle, who ran, and was soundly defeated, as Lt. Governor on the Barnett ticket in 2006, has made a name for herself in Kansas politics as having views far out of the mainstream of traditional Kansas values. She’s a proud Teabagger, has gone after human sexuality classes on university campuses (really, universities?), and has used her position as a state senator to influence legislation that would directly impact her own family business.
One thing’s for sure, the GOP primary for this race is shaping up to be a real humdinger, and Wagle’s announcement all but guarantees some GOP entries into the KS-04 race are going come out of the race with a few bruises–egos and otherwise.
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