Topeka Democrat Laura Kelly selects Senate colleague as running mate in governor's race

Kansas gubernatorial candidate Laura Kelly selected on Thursday a state Senate colleague and former school board member from Wichita as a running mate in the Democratic Party’s contest.

Kelly, a Topeka senator and critic of Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer and former Gov. Sam Brownback, said outside Topeka High School that she was drawn to Sen. Lynn Rogers as a lieutenant governor running mate because of his lengthy tenure on the Wichita school board, private-sector career in agricultural banking and views on tax, education and other key issues.

“His commitment to our schools, students and staff make him the right choice to lead Kansas at this critical time,” Kelly said. “He has fought tirelessly to reverse the damage of the Brownback experiment and give all our children the opportunities they deserve.”

Rogers was elected to the Senate in 2016 after serving as president or vice president of the Wichita board of education for seven of his 16 years in that role.

Read more: http://www.cjonline.com/news/20180524/topeka-democrat-laura-kelly-selects-senate-colleague-as-running-mate-in-governors-race