By MARK R. JOSLYN
Insight Kansas
The first half of the 20th century marked the beginning of a rich tradition of Kansas politicians.
Three figures stand out.
First, Charles Curtis. Born in Topeka, Curtis made history as the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Congress as House member and Senator. He would rise to Senate Majority Leader and then to Vice President under Herbert Hoover in 1928.
Second, Alf Landon. As a young man, Landon moved to the sunflower state to attend the University of Kansas. He went on to become Kansas’s 26th governor in 1932 and then Republican nominee for president in 1936.
Third, Dwight Eisenhower. Eisenhower was raised in Abilene and graduated from West Point. During WW II, he rose to Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces and a five-star Army General. Eisenhower then entered the 1952 presidential race and beat Democrat Adlai Stevenson in a landslide. Four years later, he defeated Stevenson once more and enjoyed extraordinary public approval during his two terms. Scholars typically rank Eisenhower among the best presidents.
This trio possessed extraordinary talent and ambition, and their formative experiences in Kansas set the foundation to ascend to national prominence. Their careers were notably long, marked by continuous development and personal growth, and an unwavering commitment to public service.
At the time of his inauguration, Curtis was the oldest vice president. Likewise, at the start of his first term Eisenhower, at almost 63, was the 4th oldest president. Landon, too, remained active in state and national politics his entire life, addressing the Republican National Convention in Kansas City at age 89. And it was at that 1976 Convention the next great Kansas politician emerged on the national stage. Senator Bob Dole was nominated as Gerald Ford’s vice-presidential candidate.
Like Curtis, Dole served in both chambers, capping his legislative career as Republican Leader of the Senate and Senate Majority Leader. Later he won the Republican presidential nomination in 1996.
Now, nearly three decades after Dole’s bid for the presidency, it seems the Kansas tradition has come to an end. Kansans have certainly made their mark since then, but not on the nation’s most important political stage.
To reach that level requires persistence, impeccable timing, and the ability to identify and leverage emerging trends. Today, we are experiencing considerable uncertainty.
There is a growing antipathy toward both political parties.
More people are identifying as Independents, and party coalitions are shifting in unpredictable ways. And layered beneath these changes looms a profound distrust of nearly every major institution. The presidency, the House, and the Senate constantly ping-pong back and forth between the two parties. One party holds power only to lose it in the next election cycle.
The volatility reflects public dissatisfaction and a deep yearning for something new. The established pathways of prior generations are fading away.
The 2024 election revealed the Bush-Cheney faction no longer matters, and the Obama-Biden coalition has fallen apart. The pages are empty. Now is the moment for a new generation of Kansans to revitalize the tradition and write their own story.
Who will be the next great Kansas politician?
Mark R. Joslyn is a professor of political science at the University of Kansas.