Topeka ? A divided State Board of Education elected a new chairwoman Wednesday, but members were far from united.

On a 7-3 vote, the board ended a two-day impasse and elected Janet Waugh, Democrat from Kansas City, Kan., as its new chairwoman. Sue Gamble, a Shawnee Republican and ally of Waugh, was elected vice chairwoman.

The impasse exposed the 5-5 split on the board between conservative Republicans and a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans.

“It’s been two difficult days,” said Waugh, who served as acting chairwoman of the 10-member board as it reorganized.

Waugh, Gamble and Bruce Wyatt of Salina voted no for the leadership team. Gamble said she worried conservatives would “blackmail” the five members on policy issues by claiming their views weren’t represented well enough.

Steve Abrams, an Arkansas City conservative, voted for Waugh as chairwoman but said it was no means a compromise or concession to moderates. Prior to the vote, Abrams had abstained from voting on any issue until the leadership was settled.

“This needed to be resolved,” said Abrams, who supported fellow conservative John Bacon of Olathe as chairman.

Waugh and Gamble are part the Democratic-moderate coalition, which saw its ranks dwindle following the November election of conservatives Iris Van Meter of Thayer and Connie Morris of St. Francis.

At one point, the board couldn’t approve an agenda or conduct business, including setting future meetings. Without a schedule, the board theoretically would have been out of business unless Waugh called a meeting. Six votes are needed for any board action.

Because her election did not settle the ideological differences, Waugh said that the next two years would be a challenge.

Aligned with Waugh and Gamble are Wyatt, Bill Wagnon of Topeka and Carol Rupe of Wichita.

Morris proposed that Abrams serve as chairman and Waugh as vice chairwoman, citing the need for “a firm hand” to control board discussion.

New board member Ken Willard of Nickerson voted with the conservative block but maintained he did so because he felt the need for independent thinking and to not vote just to go along with the majority.