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Posted at 9:59 AM on Friday, November 1, 2002

GOP tries to pull together factions
By CAROL CRUPPER
Harris News Service

MANKATO -- At the Red Rooster Cafe, three old friends share a giant cinnamon roll as Republican candidates for state office stop to shake hands.

Election Day is Tuesday, and in many cafes around Kansas, politics tops the menu.

Here, where Republicans outnumber Democrats two to one, a splintered Republican Party is trying to fend off a strong slate of Democrats led by gubernatorial contender Kathleen Sebelius.

Polls show her leading GOP conservative Tim Shallenburger but with Shallenburger narrowing the gap.

Last week, as Republican candidates toured western Kansas, moderates and conservatives urged a straight party vote.

"This is a Republican state," treasurer candidate Lynn Jenkins said. "The only way Democrats can win is if we elect them."

In Mankato, the three friends mulled it over.

Jewell County Treasurer Lynn Scarrow backed Shallenburger in the primary and likes him still.

The man in the middle wasn't sold.

"I'm a Democrat," Wayne Dunn said.

"I didn't know we had one in the county," Dick Willmeth quipped. "You're an awful nice guy to be a Democrat."

A moderate, Willmeth said he's leaning toward Shallenburger.

"He's probably a bit too conservative, but she's too liberal," he said. "I'd like to see the Republican Party get together."

But getting there won't be easy.

Uneasy alliances

The bus tour, organized by the Shallenburger campaign, had its share of awkward moments.

In Abilene, Bill Kassebaum, elected the Republican candidate for House District 68, stepped off the tour bus with Shallenburger and Bob Dole.

In the audience stood House Majority Leader Shari Weber, a Shallenburger ally whom Kassebaum defeated in the primary. Weber, now running a write-in campaign, was not introduced.

Then came Connie Morris, the party's candidate for state school board who doesn't think Kansas should educate illegal immigrants.

When it comes to immigration, Shallenburger said, "her views and mine are like water and oil."

But, he said, it's time for Republicans to close ranks and support the primary winners.

"When it's over, it's got to be over," he said.

Insurance commissioner candidate Sandy Praeger said party discipline compelled her to support the ticket despite differences with conservatives.

"If I'm not willing to do that, how can I criticize the other side for not doing that?" she said.

Not all Republicans agree.

Former Senate Majority Leader Tim Emert, Independence, is openly backing Sebelius for governor, and Clyde Graeber, who heads the Department of Health and Environment, donated more than $500 to her campaign.

Gov. Bill Graves, who endorsed Shallenburger late, has refused to back Phill Kline for attorney general.

State Rep. Clay Aurand, R- Courtland, can't understand party members backing Sebelius.

"I see Tim closer to Pat Roberts or Jerry Moran, so I can't figure out Republicans who aren't in support," he said.

Looking to govern

With Kansas facing one of its more challenging years ever, Tuesday's election could prove pivotal.

Joe Aistrup, head of the political science department at Kansas State University, said political parties offer some sense of direction.

In Kansas, he sees two Republican parties: "the moderate, traditional Republicans who have controlled the party for generations, and the new-breed Republicans who have brought in more conservative issues and want them addressed."

State GOP Party Chairman Mark Parkinson sees not two wings but six -- moderates and conservatives of all shades.

"Being Republican Party chairman in Kansas is a very difficult job," he said.

Yet he senses the party starting to pull together, particularly in the past three weeks.

"The problem is, the very rabid parts are also vocal," Parkinson said. "They create a negativity that hurts the whole ticket. It could keep us from winning some of these races."

This year, with Democrats fielding a stronger-than-usual slate, Aistrup said Republicans need each other to win and to govern.

"But for the pressure of gathering votes, they would not unify," he said.

Aistrup considers Kansas moderate.

"Those who chart Kansas as a Republican state really mischaracterize it," he said.

In the GOP primary, two candidates who supported a tax hike for education split 60 percent of the vote. Shallenburger claimed the rest.

If Shallenburger loses, Aistrup expects conservatives to resent it and Sebelius to have "a very tall order to fill."

Sebelius thinks she's up to the task.

"I know how to put together a coalition," she told a school group recently. "It may be easier for a Democrat because I start with the premise that I need bipartisan support."

Aurand said that during Shallenburger's tenure as speaker of the House, he, too, proved he could work with anyone.

"He's got a history of pulling people together," Aurand said. And if he wins, he said, "He's going to have to."

Posted at 10:23 AM on Saturday, November 2, 2002

Many voters tired of negative ads, promises of no tax increases
By CARL MANNING
Associated Press Writer

WELLSVILLE, Kan. (AP) -- Like many other voters, Ted Cloon is growing a little weary of all the negative ads and promises of no new taxes in the race for governor.

As the used car lot manager sees it, both Republican Tim Shallenburger and Democrat Kathleen Sebelius are saying what they think will get them elected in Tuesday's general election.

"For the first time in years, I haven't been excited by either candidate," Cloon said as he sat in his small office just off the main street of this rural community in Franklin County.

Shallenburger, who has trailed consistently, even in his own polls, is making no new taxes the keystone of his campaign. Sebelius has declined to make that pledge, promising instead a "top-to-bottom audit" of state government.

Cloon has his doubts about talk of no tax increases at a time when state revenues aren't living up to expectations.

"Isn't that the same thing they always say? Even if people knew there needed to be a tax increase, they don't want to hear somebody say it," he said.

"They are afraid to say anything," he said of the candidates.

Cloon said the next governor should look for additional revenue for the state, such as casino gambling beyond the four American Indian reservations in northeast Kansas.

"If you have a lottery, why not have non-Indian casinos. There are enough sources of income without taxes," Cloon said.

Shallenburger is opposed to expanded gambling while Sebelius says it's an option worth considering.

At the corner drugstore, pharmacist Donna Gibson fills prescriptions and talks about the economy.

"Our business is down. Around here people are aware of taxes because of the schools. We are caught between a rock and hard space," she said.

Gibson already has experienced some cuts in state services. She gets less reimbursements for Medicaid prescriptions than she did a year ago.

"If the economy stays where it is, they will have to pick and choose where to raise taxes unless they do away with some services," she said.

When it comes to suggesting specific cuts, she said, "That's so hard. They may have to cut everybody back to bring it within budget."

A few doors up the street, Lynn Whitaker helps her sister run an antique shop. Like many others, she said education is her top concern.

Shallenburger and Sebelius both have promised to protect schools from state funding cuts.

"My main concern is educating our children. They say they don't have money for them. But if the politicians didn't take all the money, there would be money," Whitaker said.

She was another who scoffed at no-tax rhetoric.

"Now do you believe that? Get real. They all say that, and then they raise taxes; sure they do," she said.

In nearby Edgerton, Rhonda Hoggatt sat in her store where she sells saddles, bridles and other equipment for horses with an up-to-here attitude about political ads sandwiched between her favorite television shows.

"It would be one thing if they would get on and tell the truth rather than get on and bash each other," she said. "Instead of making me want to listen, it makes me angry and makes me want to turn them off."

She's another sceptic when talk turns to not increasing taxes.

"It would be awesome if they could follow through with it. But they are going to say things to get you to vote for them," Hoggatt said.

In Baldwin City, John Vevecky is a straight-talking farmer who minces few words.

"I think they're a fool if they say they're not going to raise taxes," said Vevecky, who's raised soybeans this season. "They don't know what's going to happen in four years."

For him, it's much like predicting how the crops will turn out before putting the seed in the ground.

"You hope it's good, but you never know. I thought this year was going to be good the way things started out," he said.

In Overbrook, Gary Anderson still has $8 haircuts at his barber shop. He's reluctant to talk politics for fear of offending customers. But he feels the no-tax talk is just that.

"I think they've got to raise taxes," he said while putting the finishing touches on a youngster's haircut. "You've got to do something, either cut something or raise taxes, but I'll leave it up to them."

Shirley Simmons has run her restaurant at the same spot along U.S. 56 on the outskirts of Overbrook since 1963 and is quick to say how she feels.

"I don't like either one of them. I don't like politics," she said. "All politics are dirty."

Simmons said she's proud of raising five children without any government help. She said there's a lesson in that.

"You've got to learn to live within your means," she said.

Posted at 10:22 AM on Saturday, November 2, 2002

Kansans kick in for Shallenburger
By CAROL CRUPPER
Harris News Service

Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Shallenburger raised $1.5 million in the three months following the primary election, with much of it coming from Kansas.

Baxter Springs, a town of 4,600, pitched in $11,600 for its hometown candidate. Twenty-three donations ranged from $75 to $2,000.

With a big boost from the Henkle family, Garden City contributed $9,850. Doug Henkle gave $650 and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Henkle, gave $5,000, $1,000 more than the law allows.

Kansas limits contributions to $2,000 per person or entity in each election cycle. Shallenburger spokesman Bob Murray said $1,000 of Henkle's money would be returned and the campaign would file an amended report.

In Salina, 23 donations totaled $7,810. Blue Beacon International gave $2,000, Alfred Schwan and Charles Walker $1,000 each. Former Sen. Ben Vidricksen kicked in $100.

Hutchinson contributed $7,255 in 27 separate donations. Stuart and Mary Conklin gave $1,000 and so did Tim Fast. Ken Willard, who's running for state school board, gave $130.

Chanute donated $3,750. Of that, $1,100 came from Dr. Charles Van Houden and $1,000 each from Bank of Commerce and Larry Taylor.

Hays kicked in $1,900. Ross Beach contributed $1,000 while six others provided the rest.

Single donors in Parsons and Ottawa each gave $200.

Robin Jennison, Healy, former speaker of the House, gave $1,000 to the campaign. His business, Kansas Outdoors, contributed the same amount.

On Sept. 10, Shallenburger pulled in $10,000 from Columbus, Kan.: $2,000 each from Britt Crossland, Ivan Crossland, Crossland Construction, Crossland Holding Co., Inc., and Crossland Holding LLC. All share the same post office box.

The Kansas City Chiefs political action committee donated $2,000. Dave Lindstrom, Shallenburger's running mate, formerly played for the Chiefs.

Not all donations are super-sized.

During a campaign swing through western Kansas last week, a man at Williams Brothers' Supermarket in Atwood pressed a handful of change into the candidate's hand.

The amount, for that man, meant as much as $1,000 contribution might mean to another, Shallenburger figured.

"I didn't know what to do," he said, pulling the coins from pocket. "He wanted me to have it."

The latest report, submitted Monday, was for the period from July 26 through Oct. 24.

Posted at 10:23 AM on Saturday, November 2, 2002

Even with talk of future, Sebelius' past echoes
By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Even as she talks about the future and leading Kansas in the 21st Century, Democrat Kathleen Sebelius hears the echoes of her past.

Sebelius was 21 when her father, John Gilligan, a congressman from Ohio ran for governor and she helped in that campaign. Her oldest son, Ned, is now 21, and working on her Kansas gubernatorial campaign.

Her father is back in politics, as a member of Cincinnati's school board. They talk regularly on the telephone and exchange e-mails.

Born into one political family and married into another, Sebelius has shown she learned enough from both to build a big, early lead in this year's race, even with the state's Republican heritage.

If she wins in Tuesday's general election, she and John Gilligan will become the first father-daughter governors in the nation.

"It's really been wonderful to listen to Ned's experiences out on the campaign trail," she said during a recent interview. "I'm very much reminded of being in Toledo or Akron or Cleveland."

Sebelius has frustrated legislators, Republican stalwarts and reporters alike with her ability to stay on message, promising to protect public schools from feeling the state's budget problems while not increasing taxes.

And there's her oft-repeated promise to initiate a top-to-bottom review of state government, to make it more efficient.

Pressed for details about where savings exist, she says the review will tell her. Asked to choose the better alternative in the face of the state's budget crisis -- raising taxes or cutting aid to public schools -- she won't.

Reminded of skepticism that she can keep her promise to protect education without higher taxes, she responded, "I say what I've been saying from the outset: I think you have to give it try."

"I think you have to have some faith that the process is one that both will yield a better delivery of services, a better way to operate state government, and also, I think, restore some credibility with the citizens across Kansas," she said.

Republican Tim Shallenburger, who's accused her of misleading voters about his record and called her a "lying, dangerous liberal who will ruin our schools and endanger our children" in a fund raising letter, still expressed some astonishment at her drive.

She has raised a record $4 million for her campaign. That money allowed her to advertise on television nonstop from late July and pound home a positive image.

Sebelius wakes before sunrise each day so that she can go running, usually three miles each weekday and four or five on weekends.

"It makes me feel better at the end of the day if I've had some exercise early in the day," she said. "It's the one time I don't have a cell phone or a beeper or somebody following me around. It also clears my head a bit."

When she was growing up in Ohio, the second of four children in child of a family that operated funeral homes, her father served on Cincinnati's city council.

"I actually knew a lot more about what he did than most of my friends did about what their fathers did because we would all take a field trip to city council in my class, and I could see him at work," she said.

He ran for Congress as she was graduating from high school. When she was attending Trinity College in Washington, her father ran for governor. Son Ned is taking a semester off from Georgetown to help her campaign.

She said she has enjoyed reminiscing about her events in father's campaign.

"One of my favorites was at the Slovakian nursing home opening, where the entire ceremony was in Slovakian and nobody quite managed to tell me that in advance," she said.

She and husband Gary were married at the Ohio governor's mansion on New Year's Eve in 1974. He is the son of the late U.S. Rep. Keith Sebelius, who represented western Kansas in Congress for 12 years.

A job at the Kansas Department of Corrections followed, as did eight years as executive director of the Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, eight in the Kansas House and two terms as insurance commissioner.

Her father planned to be with her in Kansas on Election Day.

"It will be great to have him here," she said. "I spent a lot of election nights with him."

Western Front
Abortion issue at front in election
Several issues are prominent in Tuesday's election, but the most significant is abortion. Dr. George Tiller of Wichita started his own Political Action Committee. He formed Pro Kan Do to insure the election of Kathleen Sebelius as governor. "Mr. Shallenburger will close my doors" Tiller wrote in a September letter asking for donations.

Phill Kline, attorney general candidate, says there are enough Kansas laws now to close Tiller's abortion clinic. Cast a moral vote for Shallenburger and Kline.

Taxation is a necessary "evil" of any free society. However, excessive taxation is the demise of free enterprise. Rep. Jan Pauls questioned why we need a statue on the Statehouse while the treasury is in the red. Rep. Mary Kauffman consistently votes to hold the line on taxes even when it is unpopular, such as funding education. Kauffman is not against education. The issue is getting the most for taxpayers' money.

Throwing money at an issue does not guarantee quality! Our goal should be to elect moral, God-fearing policy-makers.

DENNIS HERSHBERGER

Hutchinson

Three candidates should receive nod
Let's do what is right in this election by voting for:

* Tim Shallenburger, who will try to put an end to abortion. He will try to get education dollars to teachers and classrooms.

* Phill Kline who believes in promoting justice, where right and wrong are based on the Ten Commandments.

* Ken Willard for the Kansas State Board of Education. He believes, even though we've been spending more and more on education, our children have become less and less well educated. They need to be taught the basic fundamentals and taught how to think. They need to be taught the true history of how and why our country was founded. They need to know that most of the scientific advances made in the 1700s and 1800s that fueled our current industrial revolution, were made by men who believe that God created our earth and the universe.

Let's get Kansas and America back on track by seeking and following God's will in our lives.

MERLIN SNOWBARGER

Hutchinson

Voters can't support GOP campaign
"They want to kill babies!" "They are going to take away our guns!" "They support the homosexual lifestyle." And so on and so on.

These are among the inflammatory charges that start flying just prior to every election. So I am compelled to respond.

Though I have voted for a worthy Republican candidate on occasion, I am a registered Democrat who wishes conditions were never such that an abortion was considered necessary. Still, I believe that choice belongs to the affected individuals. I own several guns, but I support reasonable regulation of purchase and ownership. I believe that it is simply not my business how people conduct their intimate lives with consenting partners. And I admire the courage it takes to stand up for our increasingly threatened right to free speech, even if it is misrepresented pathetically as "They are in favor of burning the flag!"

If the best a Republican campaign can offer is half-truths, fear-mongering and demagoguery, his is not a position I can support. Nor can I respect a candidate who allows, encourages or simply decides to turn a blind eye to such tactics.

KATHIE L. MOORE

Hutchinson

Sebelius' support is admirable
We support Kathleen Sebelius as gubernatorial candidate for Kansas.

One of her most admirable points is her support for consumers and ordinary citizens as opposed to money and large corporations. She demonstrated this when she blocked the acquisition of Blue Cross by Anthem last February. This was a victory for the Blue Cross consumer as well as providers that serve Blue Cross patients. This kept the premiums from rising to a greater extent and didn't cut providers fees down to an almost unworkable level.

Sebelius voted as a legislator to make mail-order pharmacies register with the state to offer some control over who provides prescription services to Kansans. This attempt keeps money for prescriptions in Kansas, where it belongs, rather than sending it out of state and therefore reducing the tax base.

As far as insurance companies leaving our state, that may be because they were not allowed to practice here if they didn't abide by the consumer driven guidelines that were formulated. The newly elected insurance commissioner should be as consumer orientated as Sebelius.

Kansas needs a true leader. We support Kathleen Sebelius in her quest to become governor.

BOB and JANIE NYQUIST

Lindsborg

Don't vote just because of party
I'd like to direct your attention to several ads promoting Kathleen Sebelius for governor. We're told she doesn't take money from insurance companies. This policy has left her free to make the right decisions regarding insurance matters without undue pressure from their special interests. She was able to make the "character-defining" and "courageous" stand against those who tried to take over Kansas Blue Cross/Blue Shield. This was the right decision. I and other Kansans wanted it. I thank her.

What happened then, when George Tiller, abortion provider in Wichita, donated money to her campaign? Where was her wisdom and courage to say "no?" She had to have known that she would be restrained from signing any meaningful laws affecting abortion.

I urge voters, regardless of party affiliation, to join me in voting for Tim Shallenburger for governor. He will lead our state well, whether the issue is education, our economy, jobs or law and order. Best of all, he could and would sign legislation good for tiny Kansans on their way to being born. Kansans deserve the best. Let's elect Tim Shallenburger.

ARDYCE SCHMIDT

Ulysses

Voters want only facts from Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius doesn't like it when the truth about her comes out.

Like the fact that she voted: twice against protecting the American Flag from desecration; twice to go soft on crimes involving sexual predators; against making it tougher for minors to get pornography; and against creating drug-free school zones.

I am also appalled that she has sent out a letter to Catholics claiming that she is not pro-abortion. Why did she vote for unrestricted abortions? Why does she support abortions up until the day of birth? Why did she vote against parental notification for minors? Why did she vote against a 24-hour waiting period? Why has she taken so much money from Dr. George Tiller and from pro-abortion groups?

Next time, Sebelius, just the facts, ma'am.

NORMA KING

Great Bend

Sebelius is being dishonest with voters
Voters should vote for a third-party candidate to protest the failure of major party candidates to deal with the state budget.

Tim Shallenburger is the better choice of the major party candidates. His position is at least consistent with his past political views.

Kathleen Sebelius is being dishonest with voters, just saying what she thinks voters want to hear.

Why is she spending such a huge amount, a record nearly $4 million, for the governorship of Kansas? Who's providing her with such a large sum and what do contributors expect in return?

KENNETH B. LUCAS

Hutchinson

Sebelius works to meet our needs
Some candidates truly care about other people and work to provide the best education, health care and opportunity for everyone even when it means opposing powerful forces.

Kathleen Sebelius understands the interrelationships among a range of issues from education and economic development to water quality and agriculture, and she wants to meet our needs today while insuring a positive future. Her experience as parent, teacher, representative and insurance commissioner has repeatedly demonstrated her ability to work with others to accomplish goals and cut costs.

She stands up for what is right. She hasn't run negative campaign adds but rather has shown us her record and shared her values. No wonder she was named one of "2001 Public Officials of the Year."

She"s got my vote for governor.

PATY SHEEHAN

Meade

Shallenburger dedicated to Kan.
Tim Shallenburger is getting my vote. Education is his top priority. He is committed to making our schools better by making them more focused and efficient, while maximizing local control over the education of our children. He is dedicated to growing the Kansas economy by making Kansas more business friendly. As state treasurer, he developed a solid record as an effective administrator. That's the kind of man we need leading our state, one with a proven record of balancing budgets and sensibly managing our money!

JOY HOLMES

Hutchinson

Sebelius ads not so sweet
I am amazed at the soft-sell Kathleen Sebelius has been trying to push over on the voters of Kansas with her "oh-isn't-she-so-sweet" ads. I have seen ad after ad for Sebelius that have misrepresented Tim Shallenburger's record. Now she has the unmitigated gall to run more of her "I'm-so-sweet" ads that claim that she is being attacked and that he is running negative ads against her.

If Sebelius were able to recognize the truth, she would tell you that Shallenburger, as speaker of the House, increased education funding by 28.1 percent, even more than what the governor requested. She would tell you that she has consistently voted to go soft on sexual predators and child molesters. She would tell you that instead of cutting the budget of the insurance commission, it has increased by almost 40 percent (over twice the rate of inflation) while she has been in office. She would tell you that she has voted for pro-abortion legislation.

LORI ANNE JACOBS

Great Bend

Shallenburger will work for ed
During the last 10 years, nearly every candidate for state office has indicated that education would be his highest priority. Yet during my 10 years as a school board member, we have struggled every year with budget issues. We have never had enough money. We have postponed, cut, consolidated, re-arranged and done whatever we had to do to complete each year with the money provided. My experience says that both candidates will provide the maximum money to schools that the state budget and the state legislature will allow.

While I would love to see an increase in funding available for our district, the issues that need to be addressed in selecting a governor are much broader than who will provide the most money for schools. Kathleen Sebelius has taken a strong stance supporting abortion and abortion-related activities. Elected officials (from school board members to governor) have the collective responsibility to provide a safe environment in which to educate our children. A governor who will not support all children, including the unborn, does not deserve our support! Look beyond school funding and vote for who will support all children, Tim Shallenburger.

GAYLEN BANZ

Buhler

Copyright 2002 The Hutchinson News

Posted at 10:24 AM on Saturday, November 2, 2002

Shallenburger saw big gap early
Says he needs to show Sebelius is lying
By JOHN HANNA
Associated Press Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- Republican Tim Shallenburger acknowledges that as of early September, his polls showed him trailing Democrat Kathleen Sebelius in the governor's race by as much as 25 percentage points.

He has been closing that gap, of course; activists in both parties expect the result to be much closer in Tuesday's general election. But during a recent interview, Shallenburger showed a little doubt about whether he could gain enough ground with voters quickly enough.

Shallenburger said he has to convince Kansas voters that Sebelius has been lying to them -- about education, crime and other issues.

"We've not had one night yet where we've been ahead," Shallenburger said. "We've had nights were we have been real close, clearly, several that were statistically even, but never a night when we've been ahead."

Shallenburger has remained the underdog despite being the GOP nominee in a state with a strong Republican heritage, and despite his pledge not to increase taxes.

Promises to not raise taxes normally resonate with voters, but Shallenburger said it has been a hard sell this year, because voters are skeptical that a candidate will follow through.

He said he has to attract more women who describe themselves as moderate Republicans. Among all but the most liberal Republicans, he enjoys stronger support than Sebelius, he said.

Shallenburger said crime remains an important issue as the campaign ends, again citing Sebelius' vote as a House member against a law allowing the state to confine violent sexual predators indefinitely for treatment after their prison terms end.

Sebelius has proposed doubling the sentences for sex crimes and objects to being described as soft on crime.

But Shallenburger said he believes her votes on crime issues as a legislator were dangerous, echoing the fund raising letter sent out in mid-October under his signature calling Sebelius "a lying, dangerous liberal who will ruin our schools and endanger our children."

He also said she's misled voters by suggesting he would decrease aid to public schools and that such funding didn't increase significantly during his 1995-98 tenure as House speaker.

"And she's a liberal -- there's no doubt about it," he said. "I believe that she is saying what people want to hear, knowing that she can't deliver. It's just to get elected. She'll say anything to get elected. She's ambitious."

But, Shallenburger said, not enough voters see Sebelius as he does.

Part of it is money. Though Shallenburger raised a healthy $2 million for his primary and general election campaigns, Sebelius raised a record $4 million.

And she spent nearly $2.5 million on television advertisements that started in late July and continued nonstop for three months.

"We didn't think she would run solid TV from two weeks before the primary," he said.

He noted that Sebelius began the general election campaign with about $1.2 million in her campaign fund, but, "We'd thought she'd spend that million she had, blow through it in three or four weeks, and go dark for a while. We just didn't think she could raise this much money."

Sebelius used her ads to establish a positive image as someone who would make government more efficient and shared Kansans' values. He said she's also used ads to deflect criticism of legislative votes on crime.

"She's pounded this message so long that people believe it," he said. "I mean, it's what you're supposed to do. She's run a very successful campaign."

Shallenburger said his campaign is sticking with its strategy. After raising questions about Sebelius, it's returning in its advertising to a positive message.

Volunteers will work to turn out the Republican base, which he described as anti-tax groups, though Shallenburger also enjoys strong support from abortion opponents and gun rights advocates.

And any gap will narrow, he said. The last media poll, from The Kansas City Star, published with a week left, had the difference at 9 percentage points -- Sebelius 46 percent; Shallenburger, 37 percent -- with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

"We have to get about 5 percent, five out every 100 who are voting for her, to vote me, right now. There's an awful lot of clutter on television and radio, and the mailboxes are starting to fill up," he said. "We have to convince people that we're telling the truth and she's not."