Kansas Republican Party

Infobox American_State_Political_Party
party_name = Kansas Republican Party
party_articletitle = Republican Party (United States)
party_
chairman = Kris Kobach
senate majority leader = Derek Schmidt
house majority leader = Melvin Neufeld
founded= 1854
colors = Red
ideology = Conservative
Center-Right
national = Republican Party
headquarters = 2025 SW Gage Blvd.
Topeka, KS 66604
website = [http://www.ksgop.org/ www.ksgop.org]
footnotes =The Kansas Republican Party is the state affiliate political party of the national Republican Party in Kansas. The current Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party is Kris Kobach. The current Executive Director is Christian Morgan. The current political director is Corrie Kangas.

Intraparty feuding

The Kansas Republican Party is known for its long-running feud between a socially moderate faction and a socially conservative faction. Even though Republicans have a 2-to-1 advantage in registration, the Kansas Democratic Party has made gains in recent years by appealing to moderate Republicans.

This in-party fighting was epitomized by the defeat of conservative attorney general Phill Kline in 2006 by moderate-Republican-turned-Democrat Paul Morrison. The conservatives took over the party in 2007 and furthered their hold at their convention in 2008 when former state senator and current national committeewoman Alicia Salisbury was challenged for her position by radical right-wing Kansas Republican Assembly leader Helen Van Etten. Van Etten won with the vote in her favor being 130 to 38. [cite web | title ="Conservatives tighten grip on Kansas GOP," Nebraska TVe | url =http:// http://www.nebraska.tv/Global/story.asp?S=7778863&nav=menu605_2| format = English | accessdate =2008-01-28] .

At present, the conservatives control the state party committee. However, the moderates have built an alternative organization called the Kansas Tradional Republican Majority (KTRM) to provide partisan activities. Due to the existence of KTRM, Kansas Republicans essentially operate with dual structures.

Kansas Days

The Kansas Republican Party holds their annual convention in January known as Kansas Days. The event is planned by the Kansas Days Club a group that over 100 years has organized and planned events to celebrate the birth and rich history of the state of Kansas and the Republican Party. Many Republican groups such as the Eisenhower Women's Series and the Kansas Republican Assembly hold fundraising events. The 2008 event saw the Eisenhower Women's Series bring in GOPAC Chairman Michael S. Steele.

Current Elected Officials

National Office

* U.S. Representative (4th District) Todd Tiahrt
* U.S. Representative (1st District) Jerry Moran
* U.S. Senator Sam Brownback
* U.S. Senator Pat Roberts

tate Leadership

* Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh
* Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger
* Treasurer Lynn Jenkins
* Kansas Senate Majority Leader Derek Schmidt
* President Steve Morris
* House House Majority Leader Ray Merrick
* House Speaker of the House Melvin Neufeld

Party Officers and Executive Committee

* Chair Kris Kobach
* Vice-Chair Sharon Meissner
* Treasurer David Thorne
* Secretary Bev Caley

Executive Committee

*Kris Kobach, Chairman
*Sharon Meissner, Vice Chairman
*Beverly Caley, Secretary
*David Thorne, Treasurer
*Steve Cloud, National Committeeman
*Alicia Salisbury, National Committeewoman
*Randy Duncan, 1st District Chair
*Robin Jackson, 1st District Vice Chair
*Caryn Tyson, 2nd District Chair
*Jared Suhn, 2nd District Vice Chair
*Ernie Straub, 3rd District Chair
*Corrie Kangas, 3rd District Vice Chair
*Jamie Woodworth, 4th District Chair
*Dennis Marten, 4th District Vice Chair
*George Stafford, Senator Brownback Designee
*Tom Hemmer, Senator Roberts Designee
*Daron Jamison, Congressman Moran Designee
*Mark Kahrs, Congressman Tiahrt Designee
*Ron Thornburgh, Secretary of State
*Lynn Jenkins, Kansas State Treasurer
*Sandy Praeger, Kansas Insurance Commissioner
*Steve Morris, Senate President
*Derek Schmidt, Senate Majority Leader
*Melvin Neufeld, Speaker of the House
*Ray Merrick, House Majority Leader
*George H. Weston, College Republican Chairman
*Chad Lawton, Kansas Young Republicans Chairman
*Al Maxwell, Black Republican Council Chairman
*Richard Macias, Hispanic Republican Council Chairman
*Brenda Smith, Kansas Republican Women Chairman
*Keith Esau, State Committeee Designee
*Ray LaBoeuf, State Committee Designee
*Helen VanEtten, State Committee Designee
*Vonda Wiedmer, State Committee Designee
*Tim Huelskamp, Chairman Designee
*Mike Pompeo, Chairman Designee

Prominent Past Kansas Republican Officials

* Dwight D. Eisenhower (United States President 1953-1961)
* Bob Dole (U.S. Senator 1969-1996)
* Alf Landon (Governor 1933-1937)
* Nancy Kassebaum (U.S. Senator 1978-1997)
* Charles Curtis (31st Vice President of the United States 1929 -1933)
* Bill Graves (Governor 1995-2003)
* Elizabeth H. Dole (United States Senator from North Carolina 2002-present)
* Keith George Sebelius (U.S. Congressman 1969-1981)

References

External links

Official sites
* [http://www.ksgop.org/ Kansas Republican Party]
* [http://www.kansasra.org/ Kansas Republican Assembly]
* [http://mainstreamcoalition.com/ MAINstream Coalition]

Campaign sites
* [http://www.toddtiahrt.com/ Todd Tiahrt for Congress]
* [http://www.lynnjenkins.com/ Lynn Jenkins For Congress]
* [http://www.jimryun.com/ Jim Ryun For Congress]
* [http://www.robertsforsenate.com/home Pat Roberts for Senate]