Kansas House Democrats elect Vic Miller as minority leader, giving Topeka a leadership seat

Democrats in the Kansas House of Representatives elected Rep. Vic Miller, D-Topeka, as minority leader on Monday, giving the state's third-largest county a position in legislative leadership for the first time in two years.

The Shawnee County delegation has not held a top leadership position in either chamber of either political party since Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, lost the 2020 election to Sen. Rick Kloos, R-Berryton.

"I'm a Topekan, I think it's important that Topeka be represented in leadership," Miller said. "Anthony certainly served that purpose for us for decades. With no one there, hopefully I can fill that vacuum. I think it's not a big thing, but I think all locations among our caucus should have some representation, but that's hard to do."

Miller narrowly defeated Rep. Brandon Woodard, D-Lenexa, who would have been the first openly gay person to hold a legislative leadership position.

Rep. Valdenia Winn, D-Kansas City, was elected assistant minority leader over Rep. Jason Probst, D-Hutchinson. Rep. Stephanie Clayton, D-Overland Park, was reelected to minority whip over Rep. Jarrod Ousley, D-Merriam.

Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, was reelected to caucus chair, Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, D-Prairie Village, is the new agenda chair and Rep. Christina Haswood, D-Lawrence, is the new policy chair. All were uncontested races.

Previously:Shawnee County voters split sending Democrats, Republicans to Kansas House; who's in control?

Working with a GOP supermajority

Republicans hold a supermajority in the House.

"Vic and I have always got along pretty well," said newly-elected House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita.

He predicted Miller will be like his predecessor Rep. Tom Sawyer, D-Wichita, in being "a gentleman and somebody that you can sit down and have good discussions with."

"I'm not saying that we're going to agree on everything, which we won't — fundamentally we're quite a ways apart — but that doesn't mean that we can't sit down and talk," Hawkins said. "And even when we disagree, we can talk through the situations and part in a friendly manner."

House Majority Leader Chris Croft, R-Overland Park, said he has a working relationship with Miller and believes there may be areas where they can find agreement, but his focus will be on his own caucus.

Miller said he doesn't have a deep relationship with either Republican, but the speaker has invited him to discuss issues at weekly meetings. He acknowledged they will have their differences, but does not anticipate a bitter relationship.

A pair of personal priorities for Miller are residential property tax relief and removing the sales tax on hygiene products.

"I think I can get things done even when I'm outnumbered," he said.

More:Will Kansas Republicans back Trump in 2024 or maybe Pompeo? Top GOP politicians won't say.

Democrats will pressure Laura Kelly to be more liberal

Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly said in a statement that she looks forward to working with new legislative leadership.

"I look forward to being a full partner with the governor," Miller said. "We may have some differences on the issues, but they won't be strident. The governor's the leader of our party and I respect that. The governor and I've had a long-running relationship, so I have no problem working with her."

But Miller will try to push Kelly to the political left after the governor campaigned on being middle of the road, featuring TV ads where she stood in the middle of a road.

"She needs to understand that it's very dangerous to stand in the middle of the road, particularly when Republicans are driving the wrong way on the right side," Miller said. "So I hope the urge her to move a little bit to the left, where it's safer."

A starting point might be discussing legalization of recreational marijuana, he said.

Meanwhile, Hawkins said "I've never thought she led in the middle of the road."

Miller addresses DUI

Miller ascended to the top position among House Democrats two years after accepting a diversion agreement in a drunken driving case.

"Most people that I've dealt with in my 40 years of politics realize that I'm human, realize that I can screw up just as much as the next guy," Miller said. "I think what they look for is somebody learning their lesson, and I hope that I've proven that I have."

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas House Democrats will try to push Gov. Laura Kelly to the left