Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Wiggans identifies his political views as “moderate” on his campaign’s Facebook page.

To defeat Sam Brownback in November, Wiggans — because of the GOP’s advantage in Kansas — will need to convince moderate Republicans that he is a better choice to run the state than the U.S. senator with strong ties to the conservative wing of the party.

This would be a page out of two-term Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ playbook. But political pundits say Wiggans, a former pharmaceutical company executive who returned to Kansas this year from California, has a tough mountain to climb.

“He has to show that he is a viable alternative, somebody who can build up enough name recognition,” said Joe Aistrup, a Kansas State University political science professor.

Moderate voters

Wiggans, who announced his candidacy last week, does have Wint Winter Jr., who once represented Lawrence in the Kansas Senate as a Republican, as his campaign treasurer.

He also has made campaign contributions to candidates in both parties, including giving to President Barack Obama’s campaign after he had contributed to the presidential campaigns of Republicans Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney and John McCain, the GOP nominee who lost to Obama.

“I think what this shows is a willingness to work with people of all stripes,” said Tyler Longpine, a Kansas Democratic Party spokesman. “That’s what has worked in Kansas for the past eight years, and that’s what we need to keep doing.”

His campaign and supporters, so far, have played up Wiggans’ successful business experience and tried to frame Brownback as a Washington insider who helped contribute to the recent economic problems across the country during his time in office.

Most recently, Wiggans was CEO and chairman of Peplin Inc. in Emeryville, Calif., a dermatology products firm.

“Whether a moderate defines himself or herself as a Republican or an independent, I think they will be attracted to Tom for his business experience,” said Amy Jordan Wooden, a Wiggans adviser. “I think the question for November really becomes: Who do you want getting us through to the other side of this economic recession?”

Brownback has been known for his loyalty to the social conservative wing of the party, and moderate Republicans split from the GOP in 2002 and 2006 to support Sebelius. Sebelius also convinced current Gov. Mark Parkinson to switch parties and run on her ticket.

“I think (Wiggans) is the tailor-made candidate to attract moderate Republicans,” said Democrat Paul Davis, the Kansas House minority leader and a Lawrence resident.

GOP criticism

But in recent months, Brownback’s campaign has focused more on fiscal issues. He has also picked up key endorsements from several influential moderates within the party, including Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh and Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger.

“I think (Wiggans’) business background is attractive. That’s obviously why (the Democrats) have chosen him,” said Praeger, a Lawrence resident. “Sam Brownback is a known quantity. He’s lived in Kansas basically all of his life. While he is certainly more of the conservative wing of the party than I am, I think his focus is going to be on business issues.”

Andy Wollen, a past president of the moderate Kansas Traditional Republican Majority, said he was “cautiously optimistic” because Brownback has been focusing on the economy so far during his campaign.

The state GOP last week criticized Wiggans for never voting in the state. Wiggans grew up in Fredonia and graduated from Kansas University, but he recently moved back to Olathe after a long absence from the state.

“Sam Brownback is certainly vulnerable among moderates, but I don’t think Democrats have come up with a good person,” Wollen said.

Aistrup said Wiggans has some positive qualities and his campaign will be able to play up his business experience.

“His problem, though, is that people don’t know who he is,” he said.

Other challenges

Jordan Wooden said Wiggans has spent the last couple of years talking to people across the state. She said he also has experience working with the bioscience industry in the state in an aim to try to create future jobs.

Wiggans will need to court moderate and independent voters to defeat Brownback, but Democrats also have questions about him.

Skye Coleman, vice president of the Kansas City Young Democrats, says he sees benefits to Wiggans as a candidate, particularly because he can likely finance his own campaign.

But he also said he had reservations when seeing some of Wiggans’ past campaign donations to Republican candidates. The video announcement on his campaign Web site also did not lay out his stance on issues.

To excite the Democratic base, Coleman said Wiggans should come out as a strong advocate for health care reform, public school funding without ruling out raising taxes and focusing on developing renewable energy.

“If we don’t hear them, we’re not going to work hard for him,” Coleman said.