© 2024 KMUW
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Democratic Leader Forms Gubernatorial Campaign Committee

Kansas House Minority Leader Paul Davis has formed a campaign committee for a potential run for the Democratic nomination for governor next year.

Davis announced Thursday that he's created the committee and appointed former state Representative William Kassebaum as his treasurer. Kassebaum is the son of former U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum Baker and served in the House as a moderate Republican.

Two other prominent Kansas Democrats, Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka and businesswoman and former Board of Regents member Jill Docking, announced their support for a potential Davis candidacy.

State law requires candidates to form campaign committees to begin collecting contributions. Other Democrats have mentioned Davis as a potential candidate for months, but spokeswoman Haley Pollock emphasized that his action was not a formal announcement of a decision to run.

Davis said in a statement that he'll make a formal announcement about his plans in coming weeks.

Davis is a Lawrence attorney and has served in the House since 2003. He's the first prominent Democrat to publicly show an interest in challenging Republican Governor Sam Brownback.