James A. Barnett (born July 30, 1954) is an American
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
politician from
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
. Barnett
ran for governor in 2018, ultimately coming in third place in the primary.
Barnett formerly represented the
17th district of the
Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...
, which is centered on Emporia. On August 1, 2006 Barnett won the Kansas Republican Gubernatorial Primary. Barnett faced the incumbent Democratic Governor
Kathleen Sebelius
Kathleen Sebelius (; née Gilligan, born May 15, 1948) is an American businesswoman and politician who served as the 21st United States secretary of Health and Human Services from 2009 until 2014. As Secretary of Health and Human Services, Sebeli ...
in the general election on November 7, 2006 and was unsuccessful in his bid as Sebelius was reelected for a 2nd term.
On June 2, 2009, Barnett announced that he was a candidate for the Republican nomination for the United States Congress from the first district of Kansas. On August 3, 2010, Barnett lost the Republican nomination to fellow state senator
Tim Huelskamp
Timothy Alan Huelskamp (; born November 11, 1968) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2011 to 2017. Huelskamp, a member of the Republican Party, was rated the least bipartisan member of the House during the 114th ...
. Barnett subsequently resigned his state Senate seat, and resumed his medical career at a
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka ( ; Kansa language, Kansa: ; iow, Dópikˀe, script=Latn or ) is the Capital (political), capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the County seat, seat of Shawnee County, Kansas, Shawnee County. It is along the Kansas River in the ...
, clinic.
2006 gubernatorial campaign
In January 2006 Barnett first announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for
Governor of Kansas
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
. As 2006 progressed, other candidates for the Republican nomination emerged, however none of them were able to match Barnett in campaign spending or statewide name recognition. On August 1 Barnett secured the Republican nomination with 36% of the vote. His closest competitor was author
Ken Canfield, who received 26%, followed by former state House Speaker Robin Jennison, who polled 22%..
The candidates for the Republican nomination represented a wide variety of factions within the Republican party. Of the candidates, Barnett was neither a true moderate nor a true conservative, which may have helped with his win in the primary. Barnett's opponent in the general election was incumbent
Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius was first elected governor in 2002. During her time in office Sebelius has remained popular, frequently with approval ratings over 50%. Sebelius defeated Barnett on November 7, 2006, with over 58% of total votes cast.
2018 gubernatorial campaign
On June 20, 2017, Barnett announced his second candidacy for governor in 2018.
In May 2018, Barnett announced that his wife Rosemary "Rosie" Hansen would be his running mate. Barnett stated that he wanted his running mate to be able to help him institute his #OneKansas agenda, help his administration improve the functionality of the State government, and help bridge the urban/rural divide, and he believes his wife, Rosie Hansen, is the most qualified to do so.
Policy Positions
Jim Barnett had been considered a
moderate
Moderate is an ideological category which designates a rejection of radical or extreme views, especially in regard to politics and religion. A moderate is considered someone occupying any mainstream position avoiding extreme views. In American ...
alternative to
Kris Kobach
Kris William Kobach ( ; born March 26, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who is the Attorney General of Kansas. He previously served as the 31st Secretary of State of Kansas. A former Chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, Kobach came ...
in the
Republican Party primary for the
2018 election.
Abortion
Barnett opposes
abortion
Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus. An abortion that occurs without intervention is known as a miscarriage or "spontaneous abortion"; these occur in approximately 30% to 40% of pregn ...
.
In 2010 while a member of the
Kansas Senate
The Kansas Senate is the upper house of the Kansas Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. State of Kansas. It is composed of 40 senators elected from single-member districts, each with a population of at least 60,000 inhabitants. Members ...
, Barnett voted to override former Kansas governor
Mark Parkinson
Mark Vincent Parkinson (born June 24, 1957) is an American businessman and former politician serving as head of the American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). He served as the 47th lieutenant governor ...
's veto of an abortion bill.
Crosscheck Program
Barnett has criticized the use of the
Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program in Kansas, calling it a "flawed program" and a waste of time and money.
Economy and Taxes
Barnett told the Shawnee Mission Post he considers has stated that he believes former Kansas governor
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Fr ...
's tax experiment "failed miserably from a budget standopoint."
He thinks increasing tourism to Kansas would improve the economy.
Infrastructure
Barnett wants Kansas to go back to having a long-term plan for building and maintaining roads and highways.
K-12 Education
Barnett told the Shawnee Mission Post that if elected governor, he wants to increase education funding to $600 million stair-stepped over 3 years ($200 million each year), and that he would sign legislation to adequately fund the schools according to the courts.
Local Control
Barnett told the High Plains/Midwest AG Journal, "Ninety-five percent of economic development is local and we have to respect local communities" in reference to the proposed
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. is an American multinational corporation, based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork after JBS S.A. It annually ...
chicken plant in
Tonganoxie, Kansas
Tonganoxie (pronounced ) is a city in Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States and is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 5,573.
History
Tonganoxie was platted in 1866. It was named ...
that was unpopular with many local residents.
Medicaid Expansion
Barnett supports expanding
Medicaid
Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and pers ...
in Kansas.
In June 2017, Barnett expressed concern that Congress would not allow states that have not already expanded Medicaid to do so and anticipated that repeal of the
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Presi ...
would jeopardize healthcare for 440,000 Kansans.
Water
Barnett has stated "water is significant to our state's economy" and that Kansas should work on moving water west and collaborating with other states to maintain the water.
He commended former Kansas governor
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale Brownback (born September 12, 1956) is an American attorney, politician, diplomat, and member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party who served as the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Fr ...
's 50-year plan to improve water quality and quantity in the state.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barnett, Jim
1955 births
Baptists from Kansas
Emporia State University alumni
Republican Party Kansas state senators
Living people
People from Emporia, Kansas
University of Kansas alumni
21st-century American politicians