photo by: Nick Krug

Jill Docking, lieutenant governor running mate for Paul Davis, laughs with media members as she is interviewed before the watch party for Davis on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014 at Abe & Jake's Landing in Lawrence.

Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Jill Docking said that if she and her running mate Paul Davis are elected, she plans to focus on education issues, but does not plan to hold a cabinet post, as some other lieutenant governors have done.

“I’m not likely to have a cabinet position because I run my own business down in Wichita, Kansas, but probably would take on a specific issue,” Docking said in Lawrence, where the Davis-Docking team is holding its election watch party.

“In case you haven’t noticed, education is sort of a passionate issue for me so I’m guessing it will have something to do with education.”

Docking is a former member of the Kansas Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in Kansas. She also works as a financial advisor in Wichita.

The office of lieutenant governor is somewhat ill defined in the Kansas Constitution. It is the second-highest office in the executive branch and receives a salary of $100,000 a year, but has no other official responsibilities except to succeed the governor in the event of a governor’s death, resignation or incapacity.

Some lieutenant governors have served simultaneously as cabinet officers. Gary Sherrer who served as lieutenant governor and secretary of commerce under Gov. Bill Graves.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ first lieutenant governor, John Moore, held posts that dealt with state relationships with the military and health care cost containment.

Docking said she and Davis have not yet discussed what role she will play, “but I would serve in the way that would best suit what I could do for the state of Kansas, and Paul and I will talk about that.”

Election 2014: More coverage of the various races and updated results once the polls close at 7 p.m. on Nov. 4.