Democrat Dan Lykins will face U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun in the November general election, but Lykins sounds as if he also is running against utility chief David Wittig.

Lykins, 56, an attorney in Topeka and longtime treasurer of the Kansas Democratic Party, said he decided to run after reading news reports of Wittig making millions of dollars at Westar Energy Inc. while the company sank deeply into debt.

Lykins said reining in corporate executives’ greed would be one of his top issues. “The David Wittigs of this country will not have a friend in Washington in me if I’m elected,” he said.

Lykins criticized Ryun for accomplishing little in Congress in general and specifically for not doing anything in response to the recent corporate financial scandals that have thrown thousands of people out of work, hurt retirement plans and shaken investor confidence.

“Ryun is a nice guy, but what has he done? He’s kind of like Casper the Friendly Ghost. He’s a nice guy, but where is he?” Lykins said.

In response to Lykins’ comments, Ryun spokesman Chad Hayward described several initiatives that Ryun had introduced that became law.

Among those was a bill signed into law by President Bush that sets up a commission to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education desegregation ruling.

Another Ryun initiative that has become law helps military spouses retain their doctors, Hayward said.

And Ryun also helped fashion and voted for a bill that is now in the Senate that will tighten restrictions on accountants and corporate executives, Hayward said.

Wittig declined to respond to Lykins’ comments.

Growing up in politics

Lykins may not be a household name, but he grew up in politics, having worked on campaigns since he was a 10-year-old in Atchison.

His father and brother have both been county commissioners, and his cousin is Jim Slattery, a former congressman who represented the 2nd District.

Lykins ran unsuccessfully for the Kansas Senate in 1976 and Kansas attorney general in 1998 against Republican Atty. Gen. Carla Stovall, who defeated him 76 percent to 24 percent.

As in 1998, Lykins filed at the last moment as a candidate.

But he said he was not a Democratic stand-in who simply wanted to make sure Ryun didn’t get a free pass.

“Even though it’s going to be a long, uphill battle  can I do it? I don’t know, but I’m going to do my best,” Lykins said.

District makeup changes

Ryun, Lykins says, is vulnerable based on his record and because the new district boundaries put western Lawrence in the 2nd District. Before the new map was approved by the Legislature, all of Lawrence was in the 3rd District, represented by Dennis Moore, the only Democrat from Kansas in Congress.

The new map  splitting Lawrence between the 2nd and 3rd districts roughly along Iowa Street  changed the political makeup of registered voters in the 2nd District by only fractions of percentage points.

But Lykins said he hoped to win a lot of Republican voters in Lawrence who believed Ryun was too conservative.

Although a lifelong Democratic worker, Lykins said “some of my closest friends are Republican,” including, he said, U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas.

“Adding Lawrence is a plus. I have a lot of Republican friends in Lawrence,” Lykins said.

On abortion, Lykins said that, like Ryun, he is pro-life.

Neither candidate faces an Aug. 6 primary opponent, so they will square off in November. Ryun is seeking his fourth two-year term.

Lykins is a partner in the law firm of Bryan, Lykins, Hejtmanek and Fincher.