Jean Schodorf

Jean Kurtis Schodorf was the Democratic Party nominee for Kansas Secretary of State in 2014 and a former Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing the 25th District from 2001 to 2013. She was the Majority Whip at the time of her defeat in the 2012 Republican Primary. She was defeated on November 4, 2014 by Kris Kobach in the general election for Secretary of State 59-41 percent.^[1]

Political career

From 1989 to 2000, she was on the Board of Education for Unified School District 259 (Wichita School District) and was the board president in 1993, 1997 and 1999. She is a speech/language pathologist and graduated from University of New Mexico (Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Science) and Wichita State University (Ph.D. in Communicative Disorders, post-doctoral work in education administration). In 2010, Schodorf was a candidate for U.S Representative of the 4th district, being vacated by Todd Tiahrt. On August 7, 2012, Schodorf was defeated in her attempt to be re-elected to the Kansas State Senate by Wichita City Council member Michael O'Donnell, 59 percent to 41 percent.^[2][3] In January 2013, Schodorf changed her party affiliation to Democrat.^[4]

Dr. Schodorf is the sister of attorney and television journalist Bill Kurtis. She lives in Wichita.

Committee assignments

Sen. Schodorf served on these legislative committees:^[5]

• Education (chair)
• Joint Committee on Arts and Cultural Resources (vice-chair)
• Commerce
• Confirmation Oversight
• Interstate Cooperation
• Judiciary
• Ways and Means

Sponsored legislation

Legislation sponsored or co-sponsored by Sen. Schodorf includes:

• A resolution opposing relocation of Guantanamo detainees to Kansas.^[6]
• A resolution regarding the right to bear arms^[7]

Major donors

Some of the top contributors to Sen. Schodorf's 2008 campaign, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics:^[8]

Kansas Realtors Association, Kansas Contractors Association, Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee, Kansans for Lifesaving Cures, Kansas National Education Association

Institutions were her major donor group.

Elections

2010 run for Congress

In 2010, Sen. Schodorf entered the primary race for the 4th Congressional District of Kansas, running against four other Republicans (Jim Anderson, Wink Hartman, Mike Pompeo and Paij Rutschman). She was endorsed by former U.S. Sen Nancy Kassebaum Baker on July 13, 2010.^[9] Schodorf finished second in the Republican primary, losing to eventual general election winner Mike Pompeo.

2012

In the 2012 Republican primary for her state senate seat, Sen. Schodorf was defeated by Michael O'Donnell of Wichita in the Republican Primary on Aug. 7, 2012, by a 2,785 to 1,949 margin. Schodorf, a moderate, had been targeted by conservatives Republicans for defeat.^[10][11] O'Donnell went on to defeat Democratic nominee Timothy L. Snow in the general election. ^[12][13]

2014

In September 2013, Schodorf announced she was running for Secretary of State of Kansas, switching parties to run as a Democrat.^[11] The office is currently held by Republican Kris Kobach, who is running for re-election.

References

External links

• Kansas Senate
• Campaign site
• Project Vote Smart profile
• Follow the Money campaign contributions
  • 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008
• State Sen. Schodorf says she is leaving GOP