Former lawmaker explores possible run for Kansas governor

A former Kansas lawmaker is weighing a possible run for governor.

Former Rep. Ed O’Malley posted a video on YouTube on Thursday afternoon announcing that he’s forming an exploratory campaign for a possible gubernatorial run in 2018.

“I believe we can do better in our state. I believe our problems can be solved faster, more effectively, more efficiently, and it’s going to take leadership that brings us together rather than divides us apart,” O’Malley says in the video.

O’Malley, a Republican, represented Johnson County’s House District 24 from 2003 to 2006 before leaving the Legislature to serve as president of the Kansas Leadership Center, a Wichita-based nonprofit with a stated mission of “fostering leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities.”

The Leadership Center launched in 2007 with a $30 million grant from the Kansas Health Foundation.

O’Malley, who was seen as a centrist during his time in the Legislature, says in the video that he will launch a listening tour to hear from Kansans about the type of leadership they want.

“I took the same approach when I served in the Kansas House of Representatives. Every constituent was someone I listened to. All ideas were important, no matter their politics,” O’Malley says.

This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 5:23 PM with the headline "Former lawmaker explores possible run for Kansas governor."