Kathleen Sebelius

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{{Infobox_Governor |name= Kathleen Sebelius |image= Sebelius1.jpg |caption= |order=44^th |office= Governor of Kansas |term_start= January, 2003 |term_end=present |lieutenant= John E. Moore |predecessor= Bill Graves |successor=incumbent |birth_date= May 15, 1948 |birth_place= Cincinnati, Ohio |death_date= |death_place= |spouse= Gary Sebelius |profession= Governor |party= Democrat |footnotes= }} Kathleen Gilligan Sebelius (born May 15, 1948, in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American politician who is the current governor of Kansas. A Democrat, she became Kansas' 44th governor in 2003. Since winning election, Sebelius has successfully built upon her popularity and is now one of the most popular governors in the country.[1]

She moved to Kansas in 1974, where she served for eight years as a representative in the state legislature and eight years as insurance commissioner before being elected governor. Sebelius was briefly mentioned as a possible running mate for 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, though she remained adamant that her governorship was the central and only focus of her political life.

She has been applauded by Democrats and Republicans alike for her economic policies. During Sebelius' term, Kansas has experienced 22 months of continuous job growth. She has thrice balanced the budget, while making the largest investment in Kansas schools in 10 years, all without raising taxes.

She is currently Vice Chair for Policy for the Democratic Governors Association.

Sebelius is a Roman Catholic.

Contents 1 Family 2 Election 2002 3 Awards and Honors 4 Speculation 5 Concealed Carry Law Veto and Override

Family

Sebelius is the daughter of former Ohio governor John J. Gilligan. She and her father were the first father/daughter governor pair in the United States.

Her husband, Gary Sebelius, a federal magistrate judge, is the son of former Congressman Keith Sebelius. They have two sons, Ned (b. 1981) and John (b. 1984).

Sebelius often visits her father in her hometown of Cincinnati, along with her sister, Ellen, who lives in Cincinnati as well. They are often joined by her brother, who lives in Columbus with his wife. She also visits her childhood and current vacation home, located in Leland, Michigan, north of Traverse City, Michigan.

Election 2002

After defeating Republican Tim Shallenburger in the 2002 election by a vote of 53%-45%. Sebelius' victory was partially the result of a bitter divide between conservatives and moderates within the Kansas Republican Party. This divide is touched upon in Thomas Frank's bestseller What's the Matter with Kansas?.

Awards and Honors

In November 2005, Time Magazine named her one of the five best governors in the U.S. Time praised her for eliminating a $1.1 billion debt she inherited, ferreting out waste in state government, and strongly supporting public education - all without raising taxes. Also praised was her bipartisan approach to governing.

Speculation

During the 2004 election, Sebelius was often named as a potential running mate for John Kerry. This specualtion grew louder after Kerry appeared in Kansas with Governor Sebelius in May of 2004.

In the aftermath of Kerry's defeat in the 2004 presidential election, some pundits named Sebelius as a potential candidate for the Democratic nomination for president in 2008. Some of Sebelius' political leanings, including support for abortion rights and opposition to capital punishment, are unusual for a governor of Kansas, and many contend that her appeal would be broad among Midwesterners.

In the months following the 2004 election, Sebelius' name rapidly diminished in strength on the shortening lists of potential presidential contenders in 2008. Even if she doesn't seek the presidency or receive a vice-presidential nod that year, many in Kansas believe she will seek higher office. She may seek re-election to the governorship in 2006 and is widely expected to win. It is possible that, building on her ability to win statewide election in a heavily Republican state, in 2010 she may seek to become the first Democrat from Kansas to serve in the U.S. Senate since 1939.

In February 2006, TheWhiteHouseProject.org[2] named Sebelius one of its "8 in '08", a group of eight female politicians who could possibly run and/or be elected president in 2008. She joined three other Democrats, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, New York Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and four Republicans on the list

Concealed Carry Law Veto and Override

While a responsible hunter herself[3], she vetoed, like her Republican predecessor, a concealed carry law that would have allowed guns to be carried into the Statehouse, churches, and private establishments against the wishes of the property owner.[4]

In her veto message, Sebelius said she supports Kansans' right to own firearms but does not believe a broad concealed carry law would make them safer. "I don't believe allowing people to carry concealed handguns into sporting events, shopping malls, grocery stores, or the workplace would be good public policy. And to me the likelihood of exposing children to loaded handguns in their parents purses, pockets and automobiles is simply unacceptable."

On March 21, 2006, she vetoed Senate Bill 418, a similar concealed carry bill.[5] However, on March 25, Sebelius' veto was overturned after the Kansas House of Representatives voted 91-33 to override it. This followed the Kansas Senate's 30-10 override vote, which occurred the day after her veto.

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