Kerr picks Overland Park woman as running mate

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Kerr on Monday announced that longtime Overland Park Chamber of Commerce president, Mary Birch, would be his running mate as lieutenant governor.

Kerr said if elected governor, he would make Birch secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing, the state’s main economic development agency.

The two stopped in Lawrence at the South Park gazebo as part of a 12-city, three-day campaign trip.

Birch has been president of the Overland Park chamber for the past 18 years.

“Her record there is just phenomenal,”said Kerr, who currently serves as Senate President.

Both Birch and Kerr have Kansas University ties; Birch received a journalism degree at KU in 1974, while Kerr earned his master’s of business administration in 1970 at KU.

By teaming with Birch, Kerr, of Hutchinson, gains a foothold in voter-rich Johnson County. The selection of Birch rounds out the GOP field of candidates for governor and their running mates, at least for now. The primary is Aug. 6 and the filing deadline for new candidates is June 10.

Other gubernatorial hopefuls and their lieutenant governor running mates are Eudora businessman Dan Bloom and his son Eric; Wichita Mayor Bob Knight and House Speaker Kent Glasscock, and State Treasurer Tim Shallenburger and businessman and former Kansas City Chief David Lindstrom.

Democrat Kathleen Sebelius selected Cessna executive John Moore, a former Republican, to her ticket.

Kerr and Birch said education and economic development would be their primary concerns.

“We cannot have a robust economy for the long term if we don’t have an excellent system of education,” Kerr said.

Making Birch his secretary of commerce and housing would follow the current model. Gov. Bill Graves, a Republican who is finishing his final term, made Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer his secretary of commerce and housing.

“Gary Sherrer has done an outstanding job. We will continue that and we must get innovative and creative,” Birch said.