Kathleen Sebelius is on her way to Washington.
President Barack Obama on Saturday asked Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be his nominee for Health and Human Services secretary, according to two White House officials. The officials told CNN that Obama is expected to make the announcement Monday afternoon.
This will give current Lt. Gov. Mark Parkinson at least two years as Kansas governor (which may give him a leg up toward another term, if he wants, although he said he wouldn’t run for governor earlier). In terms of larger national implications, this takes Sebelius off the table for the open Kansas senate race in 2010, which she had a good shot to win according to Research 2000.
UPDATE (David): With this move, KS-Sen unfortunately comes off of our Races to Watch list.
that Sebelius was actaully interested in running for the Senate?
I really think Parkinson could be a very successful Governor. And Brownback is seriously overrates. If Parkinson has a successful year and a half as Governor I can see him changing his mind and running for re-election against Brownback.
At the very least it kept her running for the Senate as an option and the Secretary of HHS would actually be an MD. Shocking concept, I know.