Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Barnett Announces Running Mate

Kevin Surbaugh

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Topeka – On Thursday (May 31, 2018) Republican Gubernatorial candidate Jim Barnett, announced his choice for a running mate for Luetinet-Governor.
Barnett said the key criteria were someone who could help him implement his
#OneKansas agenda, help his administration improve the functioning of state government, and someone able to bridge the rural/urban divide.
In his announcement Barnet said,

“I’ve met and talked with people from all walks of life, from all over the state,” Barnett
said. “Many were qualified in some areas. Only a few were qualified in all three areas.
It became clear that the one person who was best qualified in all areas was also the person who had spent the past 22 months traveling 70,000 miles with me, Rosemary Hansen, my wife.”

Hansen, who grew up on a small farm near Americus, Kansas, graduated from Americus High School in 1972. She has several degrees including a BA in Biology from the University of Kansas (1976),  a Law degree from the University of Minnesota (1982), a Masters in Public Education from the Kennedy School, Harvard University (1993), and was a National Security Affairs Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University (1998).
Her career has included serving as a Foreign Service Officer with the Department of State between 1985 and 2011 with overseas assignments in the Ecuadoran Consulate, and U.S.Embassy assignments in Bangladesh, Germany, Bosnia, Australia, Afghanistan, and Thailand with various assignments in Washington, D.C. During her career with the Department of State, she achieved the rank of Minister
Counselor with lead oversight of Embassy management operations in Thailand, Australia, Bosnia, and Afghanistan.
During his announcement, he acknowledged that his pick was out of the ordinary.  Barnett pointed to
recent Kansas history for examples of non-traditional picks for Luetinent-Governor, he said,

“Yes, picking one’s spouse as a running mate is unusual. But so is picking the former party chairman of the opposing party. Ultimately, the benchmark for my pick was not the traditional pedigree of political connections or money, but the ability to do what our state needs.” 

Barnett continued by pointing to the campaigns #OneKansas agenda which  he uses to promote the key issues of ag and livestock, economic development, education (with a focus on workforce development) and career and technical training, healthcare access and keeping our hospitals open, tourism as well as promoting Kansas, and attracting and retaining young professionals Crediting his wife with the OneKansas agenda, Barnett said she was the best person to help implement it. Continuing his endorsement of Hanson as his Lieutenant -Governor, Barnett said,

 “Rosie’s extensive experience and knowledge of organization and management will
help me improve the functioning of a state government that has gone off the rails in the
past 8 years. When a new stockyard can’t open because the state
doesn’t have an inspector, jobs are lost. A poorly run Department of Children and
Families threatens the safety of our most vulnerable. Kansans will be getting someone as Lieutenant-Governor who has a history of public service at a high level.”

The pair has crisscrossed the state together for nearly two years, Barnett said, including a stop he in Baldwin City in March of this year.  Concluding,  Barnett told the media,

“We are the pro-jobs, pro-reform, pro-Kansas Republican alternative to four more
years of the Colyer/Brownback agenda. That is what we believe and why we are running.”