Topeka ? Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Kerr plans to announce his running mate Monday, and speculation centers on the longtime leader of a Johnson County economic development organization.

Kerr, the Senate president, scheduled stops in 11 cities over three days. The first is scheduled for 8 a.m. Monday at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel at the junction of Interstate 435 and Metcalf Avenue. He’ll stop at 10 a.m. at the South Park gazebo in Lawrence.

Many Republicans expected Kerr, from Hutchinson, to pick Mary Birch, Overland Park Chamber of Commerce president, for lieutenant governor.