Chain reaction

Political dominoes are falling as President-elect Barack Obama builds his administration.

When a new president is elected, and especially when there is a change of parties in the White House, the building of the new administration usually triggers a certain domino effect across the country.

This year, one of those dominoes is likely to cause a significant political chain reaction in Kansas.

For starters, the election of Barack Obama and Joe Biden left vacancies in two U.S. Senate seats in Illinois and Delaware that now must be filled by appointment. As he builds his staff and Cabinet, Obama is tapping some people who worked on his campaign and others who are former office holders. But he also reportedly is looking hard at some people who will be leaving key elected positions if they join the Obama administration.

Obama’s consideration of Sen. Hillary Clinton as his secretary of state has gotten much of the attention from the national media, but some sitting governors, including Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, also are on the short list for cabinet appointments.

This comes as no surprise to Kansas residents. Sebelius was an early supporter of Obama and one of the finalists to become his running mate. She also spent considerable time on the campaign trail on his behalf, and he has spoken of his respect for her on a number of occasions. It’s unclear what post she might fill — various pundits have her on the list for Labor, Education or Transportation — but it seems likely she will be asked to join Obama in Washington.

What does that mean for Kansas? Although it may seem counterintuitive, a Sebelius exit might have benefits for the Democratic Party in Kansas. The governor would be leaving the state in the hands of Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson at a difficult time, but it would give Parkinson two years to prove himself in that role before the next election. Parkinson, a former state Republican leader, may still need to gain the trust and confidence of Kansas Democrats, but two years in office might give him a better chance of challenging a strong Republican, like U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, who is rumored to be interested in becoming governor when he leaves the Senate in two years.

And what about Brownback’s Senate seat? U.S. Reps. Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt both have signaled their intentions to run for the Senate in two years, and Sebelius has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate. Having served on the president’s cabinet might enhance her chances of winning that seat if she maintains strong ties to Kansas rather than shifting her attention completely to Washington.

In the meantime, the election of Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins to the U.S. House and the governor’s appointment of Kansas House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney to take Jenkins’ place already has guaranteed some changes in the Kansas House leadership that may or may not have an impact on key issues in the state, such as coal-fired power plants in western Kansas, which were supported by McKinney.

A majority of Kansans voted for McCain, but the state is likely to feel the direct effects of the change promised by the Obama campaign.