Topeka ? Gov. Mark Parkinson took over the job this week amid an historic economic downturn and state budget crisis in the most intense part of the legislative session.

But Parkinson, 51, seems at ease and calm.

“Given the oddity of the circumstances — a lieutenant governor coming in and being a governor during a veto session, particularly a lieutenant governor that switched parties — given all that, I think that my relationship with the Legislature is really pretty good,” Parkinson said Friday in an interview with the Lawrence Journal-World.

Parkinson became Kansas’ 45th governor on Tuesday when Kathleen Sebelius resigned to become secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The state is mired in its worst recession since the 1930s and lawmakers started the wrap-up session — one day after Parkinson took over — facing a $328 million budget deficit.

Prior to Tuesday, Parkinson’s claim to fame was being the former Kansas Republican Party chairman who switched to the Democratic Party to run as lieutenant governor with Sebelius in 2006.

In early speeches as governor and in the interview, Parkinson has outlined broad initiatives he would like to accomplish through the remainder of the term, which ends in January 2011.

His immediate goal is to work with the Legislature to balance the budget during the wrap-up session.

He also said he wants to advance the effort to make Kansas University a National Cancer Institute designated center and secure funding for construction of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility at Kansas State University.

“All of those are things that I think we can accomplish,” he said.

And he hopes to help the state realize its wind energy potential.

Kansas currently produces 1,000 megawatts of energy through wind, but Parkinson said the state has the potential to produce 10,000 to 20,000 megawatts.

“We can have incredible success and make a real imprint on this state and this country in energy policy,” he said.

Parkinson and his wife, Stacy, plan to move from Olathe to Cedar Crest, the governor’s mansion in Topeka. The couple have three children. Although Parkinson served in the Statehouse as a House member and state senator, he said he always drove home to Olathe, so now he is looking forward to learning more about Topeka.

And Parkinson has said he has no intention of running for governor. Some have said that his decision has weakened Democrats in the 2010 gubernatorial election.

Parkinson said he hopes that isn’t the case. But, he said, “I have to make the decision that I think is right for my family and myself.”