Former Gov. and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius fires up a Kansas Democratic Party fundraiser in Topeka Saturday, April 30.

Former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was back in Topeka over the weekend to help raise money for the Kansas Democratic Party, and she quickly showed she can still draw a crowd and fire up the party’s base.

Speaking to about 100 party officers, donors and elected officials, Sebelius said Kansas Democrats stand a good chance this year of picking up seats in the Kansas Legislature, in part because it’s a presidential year, and more voters go to the polls for a national race.

“I think there is no question, whether it is Donald Trump or Ted Cruz, we will have the single worst Republican presidential candidate that I have ever seen in my lifetime,” Sebelius told a cheering crowd at the Jayhawker Tower in downtown Topeka.

Sebelius was elected to two terms as governor starting in 2002. She resigned in 2009 when she was named to be President Barack Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services.

Since then, Republicans have run the table in Kansas elections, winning every statewide and congressional race since 2010 while also gaining seats in the Kansas Legislature.

Democrats are trying to reverse that trend, starting by building up a group called the Blue Club, a network of what the folks in public radio and TV would call “sustaining members” who pledge to contribute a specified amount every month so the party won’t have to rely as heavily on big one-time or annual events for its annual budget.

Sebelius said after the event that she plans to be involved in fundraising and campaigning, at both the state and national levels this year.

“I’m going to be involved in the (Hillary) Clinton campaign to some degree, and certainly my heart and soul is here in Kansas,” she said.

Final delegates chosen

Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, will be a Clinton delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July.

The party’s state committee met in Topeka Saturday shortly before the fundraising event to pick it’s final 11 delegates: four “Party Leader and Elected Official” delegates, or PLEO’s; and 11 at-large delegates.

Under party rules, the delegates are divided proportionately between Clinton and her Democratic rival, Sen. Bernie Sanders, based on the outcome of the party’s March 5 caucuses, which Sanders won by more than a two-to-one margin.

As a result, three of the four PLEO delegates will be pledged to Sanders, while only one slot was open for a Clinton supporter.

Ballard was chosen in a contested race over Kansas City, Kan., Mayor Mark Holland and fellow Reps. Sydney Carlin of Manhattan and Jim Ward of Wichita. Ward was later chosen as one of two at-large delegates for Clinton. Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka had been a candidate for that slot, but announced before the vote that he withdrew his name from consideration.

The three PLEO delegates for Sanders will be Rep. Ponka-We Victors of Wichita, 3rd District Chairman Andy Sandler of Johnson County; and 2nd District Treasurer Ty Dragoo of Topeka.

The other at-large delegate for Clinton will be Anna Hand of Hays.

Sanders was awarded five at-large delegates from Kansas, and his campaign reportedly submitted more than 120 names to fill those slots. They five chosen are: Sarah Parrish of Merriam; Nathan Bales of Winfield; Ricardo Cortez of Topeka; Pamela Darpel of Olathe; and Burton Warrington of Mayetta.