Barnett says Colyer supporter offered him cabinet job if he would drop out of race

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer met this spring with former state senator Jim Barnett, an opponent in the Republican race for governor who says that soon after the meeting a prominent Republican offered him a cabinet position if he would drop out.

A spokesman for Colyer said the governor never authorized anyone to make such an offer to Barnett, who is running as a moderate.

“He wanted to get together to have coffee, and of course, we were happy to visit,” Barnett said. “The interesting part about that was it wasn’t too long after that that I received a call from one of his supporters asking me to get out of the race.”

Colyer’s meeting with Barnett and Barnett’s assertion that one of the governor’s supporters urged him to drop out was first reported by The New York Times. In an interview Friday, Barnett elaborated on the meeting and the call.

Barnett said during his meeting with Colyer, the two talked about issues facing the state. Barnett said he received a call on May 11 as he stood in a Salt Lake City airport.

“I was asked to get out of the race and was offered a cabinet position in social services or health and environment and of course I said I had no interest in that. I was also told they’d make up a position for me, whatever was necessary to get me out of the race. And of course I said no to all of that,” Barnett said.

Barnett declined to name the person who made the call, but said he is a well-known Republican. Barnett said the person told him he was calling on behalf of the Colyer campaign.

Colyer spokesman Kendall Marr confirmed that the governor met with Barnett. But he said Colyer never OK’d any deals.

“No, Governor Colyer did not authorize anyone on our campaign or otherwise to extend any offers to Barnett,” Marr said in a statement.

Colyer has been airing television ads telling voters that a vote for Barnett is effectively the same as a vote for Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who is also in the race. The ad says Colyer is the only candidate capable of defeating Kobach.

Barnett said Colyer had been working to create what he calls a false perception that the Republican race is a two-man race between Colyer and Kobach.

The Republican and Democratic primary elections will take place this coming Tuesday.

This story was originally published August 3, 2018 at 4:03 PM.