TOPEKA
A Kansas man’s attempt to have his dog run for governor appears to have fallen short.
The Hutchinson News reported Monday that Angus P. Woolley, a 3-year-old wire-haired Vizsla, has tried to enter the race to become the next governor of Kansas.
The dog’s owner, Terran Woolley of Hutchinson, filed and signed paperwork last week to create a candidate committee for the animal.
There are no requirements about who can run for governor in Kansas.
After six teenagers joined the 2018 governor’s race, lawmakers are considering legislation requiring that people be at least 18 before they can become a candidate. The new bill would also mean dogs, cats and inmates wouldn’t be able to run.
But Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s office appeared to shut down Angus’ candidacy. Kobach, a Kansas Republican, is also running for governor in 2018.
“Officially, we will not allow a dog to run for governor,” Bryan Caskey, director of elections for the Kansas secretary of state’s office, said Tuesday. “There’s several laws that reference that the governor has to be an individual or a person, and so we are relying on that, and if a dog comes in to file for office, we will not allow that.”
Terran Woolley joked Tuesday about a possible ulterior motive for Kobach’s office.
“I feel that maybe the secretary of state is scared of facing him in the primary or in the general election, I guess, since Angus is a Democrat,” Woolley said with a laugh.
Caskey was asked by The Star last September what would happen if a dog tried to run for governor.
“I’m not sure how to answer that,” Caskey said at the time. “Because I cannot point to a law that sets any qualifications to run for governor. So a dog has never tried to file — I don’t know what would happen if one tried to. ... I can’t point you to a law that says anything about the qualifications to run for governor.”
Republican Rep. Blake Carpenter of Derby introduced the bill that would place some requirements on who can run for governor, including that the candidates be qualified electors.
“I’m glad, I guess, a dog wasn’t allowed onto the ballot because that just ... makes no sense,” he said.
Film at 11...