Derby attorney to serve as chairman for Kansas Democrats

Kansas Democrats have selected Derby attorney Lee Kinch to serve as their new state party chair after his predecessor unexpectedly stepped down in August.

Kinch, a veteran party activist who had previously been the party’s vice chair, was chosen as the new chairman in a unanimous vote at an event in Salina on Saturday.

His predecessor, Larry Meeker, resigned in August at the party’s summer convention after his efforts to rebrand the party and push it in a more conservative direction rankled some party activists and caused some to rescind their donations.

Kinch told the Associated Press earlier this week that “Democrats don’t believe the party needs to be rebranded.”

Tom Witt, a member of the state party’s executive committee and chair of its progressive caucus, praised the selection of Kinch.

“Lee Kinch is a Kansas Democrat who believes in Kansas values of fairness and equality,” Witt said in a message. “I know he supports our platform and will recruit and support progressive candidates who will move our state forward.”

“Lee Kinch has remained a political icon and a pillar of the Kansas Democratic Party for much of his lifetime, and we are honored to have him continue his service to our state through the official role of Chairman,” Kansas Democratic Party executive director Kerry Gooch said Saturday in a statement. “As we look ahead to the 2016 Election, we are confident in the vast leadership experience possessed by our new Chair.”

Jim Sherow, who mounted an unsuccessful campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp in 2014, was also nominated for chair, but chose not to stand for the position because of possible conflicts with his job as a professor at Kansas State University. He threw his support behind Kinch.

This story was originally published October 3, 2015 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Derby attorney to serve as chairman for Kansas Democrats."