With the 2008 election season over, Congressman Jerry M0ran wasted little time taking the next step in his likely bid for higher office, the AP is reporting.
Rep. Todd Tiahrt
Rep. Jerry Moran
The western Kansas Republican, who has struggled in his decision-making over running for higher office before, filed paperwork Friday that allows him to accept contributions for a U.S. Senate campaign.
Moran of Hays has been telling constituents for months that he plans to seek the seat being vacated in 2010 by Republican Sam Brownback. His statement of candidacy filed with the Federal Election Commission and the secretary of the U.S. Senate formalizes that process.
"Jerry was on the ballot for the U.S. House for the last time," Moran spokesman Travis Murphy said Friday. "He's made his intentions known for some time that this was his plan."
Murphy said the filings are part of the process of making Moran's intentions clear "and allowing him to follow the rules."
Moran already has amassed about $2.4 million in his House campaign coffers that could be transferred to a Senate bid.
Moran was re-elected to a seventh House term on Tuesday with 82 percent of the vote, the highest percentage of any Republican in the nation running for Congress. But he has been working in recent months to increase his name recognition in eastern Kansas.
Moran may not be the only prominent Republican laying the groundwork for a Senate bid.
Congressman Todd Tiahrt from the Wichita area, has not ruled out such a campaign and has been traveling the state recently to raise his profile outside his south-central Kansas district.
"An open Senate seat will draw a lot of interest, and my feeling is Kansas will not have two senators from the same congressional district," Tiahrt said Friday, a reference to Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, who also represented western Kansas before ascending to the Senate. "I can guarantee there will be others who will get into this race."
But Tiahrt also said it was too early to talk about the next election cycle.
"Like other Kansans, talk of another political campaign makes me groan right now," Tiahrt said.
At least one prominent Democrat is ruling himself out for now.
Former Rep. Jim Slattery, who garnered just 36 percent of the vote on Tuesday in his challenge to Roberts, has no interest in making another run for the Senate, spokeswoman Abbie Hodgson said.
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius is a possible Democratic contender, but she is widely expected to take a position in Barack Obama's administration should an offer be extended.
Moran v. Tiahrt
Moran is a more reasonable Republican than Tiahrt, but not by much. Tiahrt has always been a hot mess. Unfortunately, Moran has veered more to the right recently.
We used to live in Wichita when Tiahrt beat Dan Glickman in the 4th congressional district. Tiahrt was a horror then and he's worse now.
If you like your politicians bought and sold by the Koch family, you're gonna love Tiahrt. If you like the Tim Golbas and Mark Geitzens of this world, you'll love Tiahrt with a passion.
But more than anything, the Kochs made Tiahrt who he is today, and he's completely beholden to them. He's nothing but a tool for Halliburton, Koch, big business, the anti-choicers, the intelligent designers, and especially, the most extreme second amendment fanatics. And to put a cherry on top of this gooey right-wing sundae, add his environment 2005 score of -4, on a scale of 1-100 by Republicans for Environmental Protection.
Oh, and he used to campaign on "term limits". Remember that campaign line? Yeah, doesn't work so much any more for Tiahrt.