Paul Davis (Kansas politician)
| Paul Davis | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 46th district | |
|
In office January 2003 – January 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Troy Findley |
| Succeeded by | Dennis Highberger |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
July 12, 1972 Woodland, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Shelley Rogers (2000–2003) Stephanie Davis |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater |
University of Kansas, Lawrence Washburn University |
| Religion | United Church of Christ |
Paul T. Davis (born July 12, 1972) is an American politician and lawyer. The 2014 Democratic nominee for Governor of Kansas, Davis served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2015.[1] He was the Policy Chair for the House Democratic Caucus for three years and was elected House Democratic Leader in 2008. He represented the 46th House District, which covers eastern Lawrence, Kansas.
Early life, education and career
Davis is the son of an elementary school teacher and a public administration professor at the University of Kansas.[2] Davis attended Lawrence public schools and graduated from Lawrence High School. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Kansas, Davis went on to obtain a Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law.
Davis has served as an intern to Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley and former Congressman Jim Slattery.[2] He was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2003, and became head of the House Democrats in 2008.[2] He currently practices law with the firm of Fagan, Emert & Davis, LLC in Lawrence. He and his wife Stephanie, who works as a psychologist, have one daughter, Caroline.
Prior to his service in the Kansas Legislature, Davis worked as Assistant Director of Government Affairs for former Insurance Commissioner Kathleen Sebelius. He also worked as the Legislative and Ethics Counsel to the Kansas Bar Association and served as President of the Health Care Access Clinic Board of Directors and Vice President of the Arc of Douglas County Board of Directors. Paul is a graduate of Leadership Lawrence and a former member of the Leadership Lawrence Advisory Board.
Kansas House of Representatives
As leader of the House Democratic caucus, Davis served on the State Finance Council, Calendar and Printing Committee, Interstate Cooperation Committee, and the Legislative Coordinating Council. He also served on the House Insurance Committee. Davis was in charge of organizing activities of the caucus, streamlining legislative business, and uniting members on both sides of the aisle to accomplish goals for Kansas.
Committee membership
- Legislative Budget (Ranking Member)
- Calendar and Printing
Sponsored legislation
- H 2218 – Healthy workplace act; abusive workplace environments. April 2, 2009
- H 5003 – Kansas constitutional amendment; equal rights; no discrimination based on sex. January 23, 2009
- H 5007 – Joint session for hearing message of supreme court. February 13, 2009
- H 5014 – Expanded rail service; Kansas City to Fort Worth, Texas; congratulating Kansas Department of Transportation and others; urging action. March 17, 2009[3]
Issue positions
Davis's answers to the Kansas State Legislative Election 2008 National Political Awareness Test are available. In the test Davis listed his legislative priorities as "Comprehensive energy policy that focuses on wind development and other renewable sources, Health care reform that improves the accessibility and affordability of health insurance, Tax reform that closes loopholes and provides a more fair tax structure."[4]
Campaign finances
The top 5 donors to Davis's 2008 campaign:[5]
- 1. Kansans for Lifesaving Cures $750
- 2. Kansas National Education Assoc $750
- 3. Fincher, Douglas C $500
- 4. Kansas Assoc of Realtors $500
- 5. Hillsdale Shopping Center LLP $500
2014 Kansas gubernatorial campaign
Davis ran for governor in 2014 against Republican Sam Brownback and Libertarian Keen Umbehr. Upon announcing his candidacy, Davis stated, "As Kansans, we believe we have a moral obligation to educate our children, reward hard work, build a strong middle class and cooperate with one another. These values are what make us Kansans."[6] Davis's bid had been endorsed by over 100 Kansas Republican politicians.[7] The organization Republicans for Kansas Values stated that their primary reason for the endorsement was not to elect a Democrat, but to defeat incumbent Governor Sam Brownback.[8] Davis lost in the General Election to incumbent, Sam Brownback.[9]
References
- ↑ Kansas legislators Past and Present-Paul Davis
- 1 2 3 Cooper, Brad (7 October 2014). "Democrat Paul Davis’ life immersed in policy and politics". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ↑ Kansas Legislature - Bills Introduced by Member
- ↑ Kansas State Legislative Election 2008 National Political Awareness Test, votesmart.org; accessed February 14, 2014.
- ↑ Follow the Money - 2008 Campaign Contributions
- ↑ AP (September 17, 2013). "Democrat Paul Davis enters Kansas governor race". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
- ↑ Carpenter, Tim (July 15, 2014). "More than 100 GOP politicians endorse Democrat Davis for governor". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
- ↑ Lazar, Alex (July 15, 2014). "Over 100 Republicans Back Democratic Candidate For Kansas Governor". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
- ↑ Brownback wins re-election
External links
- Paul Davis for Governor
- Rep. Paul Davis, House Minority Leader at the Kansas Legislature
- Paul Davis at DMOZ
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Tom Holland |
Democratic nominee for Governor of Kansas 2014 |
Most recent |