Republican gubernatorial candidate and current Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced Monday that he has chosen Goodland businesswoman Jenifer Sanderson as his lieutenant governor running mate.

Sanderson is the owner of a Sonic Drive-In franchise in Goodland and is a past chair of the board of trustees for Leadership Kansas, a leadership training program operated by the Kansas Chamber.

“Jen Sanderson represents the best of Kansas and we are grateful she is willing to make the commitment to the hard work of fixing state government and transforming it in a way that creates that future we all want for our great people and state,” Selzer said in a news release announcing his choice.

Sanderson is the first woman on the Republican side to join a major ticket for governor or lieutenant governor. Incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer is running with his lieutenant governor, Tracey Mann. Kris Kobach, the current secretary of state, is running with former candidate Willis “Wink” Hartman.

Former Sen. Jim Barnett has not yet named his running mate. He said in an interview Monday that he plans to announce his running mate May 31.

Candidates have to make those announcements before the deadline to file for office expires at noon Friday, June 1.

On the Democratic side, former state agriculture secretary and former Rep. Josh Svaty recently named Katrina Lewison, a former Army officer and Iraq war veteran, as his running mate.

The other major Democrats in the race include former Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, who is announcing his running mate on Tuesday; and Sen. Laura Kelly, of Topeka, who announced on social media that she would name her running mate Thursday.