Topeka ? Democrat Charles Schollenberger of Prairie Village on Thursday announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, hoping to break a 70-year grip held by Republicans on Senate seats from Kansas.

Schollenberger, 57, who has been a newspaper reporter, communications executive and teacher, said he supports health-care reform, including a public option insurance plan, and tighter regulations on the financial industry.

He said he would consider an amnesty program for immigrants who are in the country illegally.

Schollenberger is running for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., who is running for governor in 2010.

He said Kansas has too long been represented by conservative Republican senators who are career politicians, have opposed health reform and supported deregulation of the financial industry. He said the two Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for the contest — U.S. Reps. Jerry Moran of Hays and Todd Tiahrt of Goddard — fit that mold.

“We’re going to send a U.S. senator to Washington who is going to represent the true interests of the people of Kansas, the working men and women of Kansas, their children, and our senior citizens,” he said.

Schollenberger made his announcement across the street from the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Because it was raining, he tried to move the news conference inside the building, but employees said he couldn’t hold a political announcement there.

He took the steady rain in stride, noting that when he was a farm reporter, rain in western Kansas was considered a blessing. “Better rain than drought,” he said.

Tyler Longpine, a spokesman for the Kansas Democratic Party, said he expected several candidates to seek to the Democratic nod.