if morrison goes, who's next?

Although Paul Morrison's future remains uncertain, conventional wisdom says that he won't run for re-election in 2010, even if he does manage to avoid resignation or removal. Dianne Silver points out that there is already some grumbling among Democrats that Morrison should resign, so that Sebelius can appoint a Democrat successor. There aren't many Democrats who are well-known or popular at the state-wide level, the reasoning goes, so it is imperative that the party put this scandal to rest so that it can hold onto the Attorney General seat.

This all begs the question: who could succeed Morrison if he doesn't fill out his term?

The most natural pool of candidates to fill the seat are Democrat district attorneys, particularly from large districts. Here are a few who are likely to be on the Governor's short list.

(1) Topping the list is Nola Tedesco Foulston, the Sedgwick County District Attorney. Foulston has an extremely impressive resume, with years of law enforcement experience and a laundry list of awards and honors. She has served as Sedgwick county DA for nearly 20 years, and ran unopposed in 1996, 2000, and 2004. She also has a compelling personal story, as she has continued as DA despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1998. Predictably, the Operation Rescue crowd despises her for her refusal to file frivolous charges against abortion provider George Tiller. But it's hard to imagine any Democrat that wouldn't generate opposition among pro-lifers.

In raw political terms, Foulston would be the perfect antidote to Morrison's scandal. Appointing a woman who is, by all accounts, above reproach, would draw a stark contrast to Morrison's piggish behavior. Also, the fact that she is a woman and suffers from a debilitating disease would make her much harder to attack. State Republicans would probably avoid getting too nasty and personal, for fear that the attacks could backfire.

The big question is whether Foulston is interested in running for higher office. Topeka is a long way from Wichita, and she may decide that her health, her family and her career as a prosecutor are more important than climbing the political ladder.

(2) Jerome Gorman of Wyandotte County or Charles Branson of Douglas County. Both of these Democrat DAs are serving their first terms, and both have rather low profiles. Gorman appears to have some prosecutorial experience, but doesn't have too many accomplishments or honors.
He also ran unopposed in Wyandotte, which surely raises questions about his ability to win a competitive race.

Branson, on the other hand, was a criminal defense attorney for years before he was elected as DA. Republicans would definitely try to skewer him for helping to keep criminals on the street. However, Branson did decisively win a competitive election as a Democrat in 2004, when the party was getting shellaced across the state.

But the bottom line is that both Gorman and Branson won as Democrats in the only Democratic strongholds in the state. Douglas and Wyandotte were the only counties that went for Kerry in 2004, when both Gorman and Branson were elected. This raises some doubt about their ability to appeal to Republicans, which would be a necessity for any candidate for state-wide office.

(3) Convince another Republican to switch parties. While this may seem unlikely on its face, it should be remembered that nobody would have thought Paul Morrison or Mark Parkinson would have "D"s in front of their names a few years ago. In my opinion, the best "get" would be Shawnee County District Attorney Robert Hecht. The man is extremely well-respected, and has decades of experience and a mightily impressive resume.

Although he is a Republican, there are some indications that Hecht isn't an unflaggingly loyal company man. For one, he is a member of a few Democratic-leaning organizations, including the Kansas Trial Lawyers and the NAACP. He also essentially threw Phill Kline under the bus in the KCTV-5 piece about Kline's less-than-impressive work ethic. Although that may not have been his intention, the very fact that he spoke to KCTV-5, on camera, in its investigation of Kline shows less than perfect party loyalty--a hardcore Republican would have stonewalled.

Hecht, or any Republican, may be attracted to the replacement position because it would allow them to bypass what is sure to be a contested Republican primary. An experienced former Republican would be a heavy favorite to hold on to the Attorney General seat in 2010. Instead of having to go through the painstaking work of raising money and building a campaign organization, somebody like Hecht could ascend to higher office with minimal effort.

Although the Kansas Democratic party doesn't have a very deep bench for upcoming elections, all is not lost. If Sebelius and Morrison play this right, state Dems could wind up with an even better candidate for 2010, or, at the very least, one who has a fighting chance.