Denver ? When Jenny Davidson was younger, she dressed up like H. Ross Perot to go trick-or-treating.

“I had charts to show the distribution of my candy,” Davidson said. “None of my classmates knew who the heck I was.”

Davidson, of Lawrence, grew up in Russell, boyhood home of former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole, a nationally known Republican. Davidson left west-central Kansas to head east and to Kansas University, where she earned degrees in journalism and political science.

She now is communications director for the Kansas Democratic Party.

She works behind the scenes to help Democratic candidates get elected in Kansas. This week she is helping the Kansas delegation during the Democratic National Convention.

Until recently, she also played in the Lawrence rock band “Marry Me Moses.”

The group recently disbanded, but once the election is over, Davidson said she’d like to start playing again.

Davidson said her parents instilled in her an interest in politics. Her father, Dennis, is an attorney and her mother, Lori, teaches music in elementary school.

After President Clinton was elected, she said, her parents had their children – Jenny, her brother and sister – dress up as a way to celebrate the inauguration.

“They are passionate and understood the importance of political discussion at the dinner table,” she said of her parents. She said her interest in politics was also fired up by KU political science professor Allan Cigler.

Davidson said despite the dominance of the Republican Party in Kansas, she believes Democrats are making gains. She said the Democratic Party has been able to recruit candidates who are seen as leaders who will work across the aisle.

“People are looking more for the type of leader that they wish to elect and not their party label,” she said.