Topeka ? When the gavel falls to open the 2006 legislative session Monday, the campaign begins.

Statewide elected officials, most notably Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, will be up for re-election in November, as well as 125 House seats.

Much of what happens or doesn’t happen during the legislative session will affect the outcomes of those races.

To the frustration of Republicans, who dominate the Legislature and the number of registered Kansas voters, Sebelius, a Democrat, is riding high poll numbers.

Her popularity is even getting national recognition after she was named one of the nation’s five top governors by “Time” magazine.

Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University in Topeka, said Sebelius’ appeal is based on her ability to sidestep the right-left political warfare, and focus on issues that matter to people.

“She’s good at understanding what Kansans are dealing with on a daily basis,” Beatty said. “It’s not evolution or intelligent design, it’s not abortion – those are never-ending issues that will be there when Sebelius is long gone.

“She is not someone who goes off on big, philosophical journeys. She sticks to kitchen-table, nuts and bolts issues … that all adds up to what Kansans think is helping their lives get better,” he said.

Many proposals

Sebelius refused to talk about her re-election campaign plans, saying she will make an announcement sometime this year.

“When the Legislature is here, I expect us to do our jobs, passing a budget, making decisions about health care, investing in kids.

“People grow weary of campaigns being run inside the dome,” she said.

But while Sebelius said she wants to put off politics, her actions of late indicate her finger is on the pulse of the electorate.

In the week before the session, Sebelius unveiled a handful of initiatives, including assistance to lower heating bills, providing low-cost prescription drugs, increasing benefits for military veterans, and committing funds to cancer research.

Her schedule for the first week of the session includes delivering the State of the State speech on Monday and then traveling to give speeches in Dodge City, Wichita and Overland Park.

Beatty said it reminded him of President Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign, when he introduced dozens of new programs. While Clinton was ridiculed by political pundits, the list of new programs was well-received by voters, he said.

GOP battles

Meanwhile, Republicans are in open warfare with each other between so-called conservatives and so-called moderates. There have even been some high-profile party switchers, from Republican to Democrat.

Generally speaking, conservatives oppose abortion and increases in public school funding, while moderates support a woman’s right to an abortion and increased school funding.

The battling reached a high point during a rare special session last summer when, under order from the Kansas Supreme Court, the Legislature increased school funding. Moderate Republicans and Democrats teamed up against conservatives like House Speaker Doug Mays, R-Topeka, who then announced he would seek the Republican nomination to run against Sebelius for governor.

But Mays later withdrew from the race, saying he didn’t want the campaign coloring the work of the session, and that he wouldn’t seek re-election to the House.

“I’m more relaxed now than I have been in a long time,” Mays said as he prepared for his final session in the House after 13 years.

He said his decision to drop out of the governor’s race has reduced the political temperature in the Capitol.

“I think it already has improved my relationship with the administration.

“I’ve had one or two conversations with the governor … thought it was time to open up the lines of communication again, and we’ve done that. That doesn’t mean we are going to agree on everything but it does help if all parties are at least communicating,” he said.

Sebelius v. Barnett-Wagle

Mays predicted that the political posturing during the session will be no worse than usual.

“Every House seat is up again, so I think they’re going to be looking out for their own skins more than they are going to be worrying about the governor,” he said. “If there is going to be any house that is going to posture in terms of the governor’s race it is going to be the Senate.”

Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, is a candidate for governor and has already announced his lieutenant governor running mate, Sen. Susan Wagle of Wichita.

Beatty said the Republicans face a dilemma. Since they hold substantial majorities in the House and Senate, they want things to run smoothly.

But, he added, “If you say everything is working in Topeka, so let’s throw out the governor … that’s not a good message for Jim Barnett and Susan Wagle.”

Wagle said she and Barnett planned during the session to draw a contrast between themselves and Sebelius.

“You’ll see Jim and I showing a difference between our leadership style and what we believe is the best direction for the state to go,” she said.

She said she didn’t believe the disagreements would become contentious but would result in healthy debate.