Kansas

Bird: Western Meadowlark

Flower: Sunflower

Capital: Topeka

Politics

Governor: Bill Graves (R) cannot seek re-election in 2002

Senate: Pat Roberts (R) re-election 2002 ; Sam Brownback (R) re-election 2004

House: U.S. House: 1 D, 3 R

State Senate: State Senate: 10 D, 30 R

State House: State House: 46 D, 79 R

Reapportionment: Reapportionment/2000 Census: No change from 1990

After eight years in office, Republican Gov. Bill Graves couldn't run again because of term limits. State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger, the candidate favored by conservatives, won the Aug. 6 Republican primary.

Democrat Kathleen Sebelius, the insurance commissioner, didn't have a primary opponent and was able to raise $1.8 million through late July for her campaign. While Shallenburger took time to replenish his campaign funds, Sebelius ran television ads designed to strengthen her image. Polling by both parties gave Sebelius the lead, despite the state's traditional Republican leanings.

Sebelius was trying to woo moderate Republicans by focusing on education spending as an issue. Her campaign made much of an Aug. 7 remark by Shallenburger that public schools could stand a cut of up to 3 percent in their state aid if the alternative were raising taxes.

He later said his comment was taken out of context and that he won't cut education funding. But some moderates weren't convinced; Shallenburger faced dissident "Republicans for Sebelius" and "Save Our Schools" groups, the latter led by a former GOP Senate majority leader.

Graves endorsed Shallenburger, but waited until six weeks after the primary to do so, then said his sense of party loyalty compelled him. Graves won a second term in 1998 with 73 percent of the vote, but many Republicans have wondered in recent months whether he has maintained his popularity. He provoked a lot of criticism by moving forward with putting a statue of a Kansa Indian atop the Capitol dome, despite the state's financial problems.

How either candidate would solve those problems remained somewhat unclear.

Shallenburger has promised not to increase taxes or cut aid to public schools. He said during one forum that he expected to cut $200 million from the budget _ about 10 percent of everything outside aid to public schools.

Sebelius has said she isn't considering tax increases an option, though she has refused to take a strict no-tax pledge. She promises to initiate a top-to-bottom review of state government to find efficiencies.

The Democratic nominee also has said the state needs to increase teacher salaries and increase spending on public schools. She has even said a $1,000-increase in the state's per-pupil aid of $3,863, would be her goal, despite the state's financial problems.

Activists in both parties had expected the race to tighten in its final weeks.

Sebelius may have tightened the race herself. During an Oct. 2 forum, she defended the state's highway funding sought to contrast its roads with those in Missouri. She related how, after flights were grounded after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, she was stranded in Ohio and had to drive back to Kansas, through Missouri.

She said, "The roads in Missouri were 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 apologized the next day.

U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican, is running for re-election but faces only token opposition and no Democratic opponent.

All four incumbent congressmen are seeking re-election.

In the 1st District, Republican Jerry Moran faces no Democratic opposition.

In the 2nd District, Republican incumbent Jim Ryun, a former Olympic miler, faces Democrat Dan Lykins, a Topeka attorney who has made corporate scandals his main issue.

The 3rd District leans Republican but has elected Democrat Dennis Moore twice. Adam Taff, a Lake Quivira pilot and a moderate, won the GOP primary, and Republicans are hoping visits from Vice President Dick Cheney and former Kansas Sen. Bob Dole help put him over the top.

The 4th District race is rematch between Republican U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt and Democrat Carlos Nolla, a Wichita attorney, who did better than expected in getting 42 percent of the vote against Tiahrt in 2000.

All 125 Kansas House seats will be decided, and Democrats hope the state's budget problems will allow them to make significant gains. The GOP holds a 79-46 majority.

In the Senate, the GOP has a 30-10 majority, but none of its seats is up until 2004.