Topeka ? Citizen-based polling for the 2002 election cycle commissioned by a group of Kansas media outlets will be abandoned after complaints of Democratic partisanship against the lead pollster, a Kansas University administrator.

The media organizations that commissioned The Kansas Poll agreed to discontinue it. The first round of results was issued shortly before the Aug. 6 primary election.

Kansas Poll partners were The Topeka Capital-Journal, CJ Online, KSNT-TV in Topeka, KSNW-TV in Wichita, WIBW-AM and -FM radio in Topeka and The Associated Press.

The poll was criticized by the campaign staff of state Treasurer Tim Shallenburger after its Aug. 4 results showed Shallenburger with a slim lead over Wichita Mayor Bob Knight and Senate President Dave Kerr in the race for the Republican nomination for governor. Shallenburger eventually won the nomination.

The Shallenburger camp, however, believed its candidate had a larger edge at the time the poll was conducted and noted political contributions made by Diana Carlin, a Kansas University professor who led the polling team, to the gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Kathleen Sebelius.

“All we asked was that if The Topeka Capital-Journal was going to continue to utilize Dr. Carlin as a campaign commentator that they fully disclose her financial contributions to the Sebelius-for-governor campaign,” said Alan Cobb, Shallenburger’s campaign manager.

Carlin, dean of the KU Graduate School and International Programs, made three contributions totaling $400 to Sebelius’ campaign. The final contribution on April 4 came before the newspaper asked her to conduct the poll.

Will Kennedy, Capital-Journal executive editor, said the newspaper’s polling was solid.

“There is no way the results were biased or tainted, but news stories must be far above that suspicion or any perception of partiality,” Kennedy said. “For that reason, we concluded we needed to pull out of the polling project.”

Carlin defended her work on the poll and her decision to make a campaign contribution.

“I’m entitled as a citizen to participate in the process just as anyone else, but I’m also required as an academic to be objective,” she said. “I have a long-standing record of having done objective research. The focus groups and poll are further evidence of my ability as a researcher to use social science methodology objectively and to personally rise above partisan politics to educate voters.”

The media organizations had contracted with KU’s department of communication studies for three rounds of polls.

The first preceded the primary election. Additional polls were scheduled for late September and shortly before the November general election.