Susan Wagle


Susan Wagle is an American politician who serves as a Republican member of the Kansas Senate, representing Kansas' 30th district since 2001. She was elected Kansas Senate President in 2013. Wagle filed to run for the United States Senate in the 2020 election, but under party pressure withdrew before the candidacy closure deadline.

Early life

Wagle was born on September 27, 1953, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In 1979, she graduated with a B.A. from Wichita State University. Wagle taught special education in Wichita public schools from 1979 to 1982 before becoming a businesswoman.

Political career

Kansas House of Representatives (1991–2001)

In 1990, Wagle was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. She later became Speaker Pro Tem of the House. Wagle served in the House from 1991 to 2001.

Kansas Senate (2001–present)

Wagle was elected to the Kansas Senate from the 30th Senate District in 2000, taking office in 2001.
In 2003, Wagle drew national attention when she attempted to have a human sexuality class at the University of Kansas defunded due to the professor's alleged display of pornographic material. Then-Governor Kathleen Sebelius "vetoed a budget proviso to withhold more than $3 million from KU if the class materials were found to be obscene, but signed a second one directing universities to draft policies on the use of explicit sexual materials".
Wagle was elected senate president on December 3, 2012, winning 23–9 over then-Senator Steve Abrams of Arkansas City. Wagle's win was a victory of the conservative wing of the Kansas Senate over the Senate's moderate wing. She is the first female Kansas senate president, and the first senate president from Wichita. She was re-elected to the post in 2016, defeating Ty Masterson by a vote of 23–7, becoming only the fourth senate president in Kansas history to serve a second term.
In July 2018, Wagle supported Kris Kobach in a Republican gubernatorial primary, saying that he was the "strongest candidate". The endorsement was sent out by Wagle's staff spokeswoman on a state computer, thus violating Kansas ethics rules.
Wagle once "halted a controversial bill that would have enabled public and private employees to refuse service to same-sex couples on religious grounds".
On May 29, 2019, nine protesters had been singing and chanting in the Senate chamber. When they refused to stop, the Senate suspended its work; Wagle ordered that the Senate gallery be cleared and that the protesters be detained and taken to another room. The Wichita Eagle's Jonathan Shorman reported that journalists were "'prevented from witnessing the arrests'". Calling Wagle's action "unprecedented" and "intolerable", the Kansas Sunshine Coalition for Open Government filed a complaint with Attorney General Derek Schmidt. Wagle countered, "'t no time was the press denied access to Senate proceedings. My staff was simply following instructions during a time of recess to ensure the safety of everyone in the chamber'".
Harrison Hems, Senate President Susan Wagle's chief of staff, said that he was dismissed on October 10, 2019 as a result of a disagreement over whether he should work on her campaign for the U.S. Senate.
In February 2020, Wagle sought to block the federally-funded expansion of Medicaid to 150,000 Kansans, by linking it to an anti-abortion amendment to the state's constitution. Wagle routed all 11 House-passed bills on the Senate's debate calendar as well as returning two Senate health care bills back to committee, declaring that no House-passed bill on any subject would clear a Senate committee until the abortion measure is placed on the ballot. For her action, she was rebuked by the number two member of the senate, Majority Leader Jim Denning, a Kansas City-area Republican. He had worked with Governor Kelly to craft the bipartisan Medicaid expansion plan. He said Wagle's tactics were crafted "without my input" nor did they reflect his plans, continuing, "Her statements are obstructive and not how we should be governing."
After the Sumner Community Hospital closed in Wellington in March, Wagle complained that a candidate for the Congressional District 4 seat had tried to tie its fate to the failure to extend the state's Medicaid, saying, "it's sad that a political challenger is trying to tie the challenges rural hospitals face with the left's obsession for government-run health care.: In 2020, Wagle's predecessor as state Senate President, Dick Bond joined with two other former state senate presidents, Steve Morris and Dave Kerr to advocate for the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas issuing a statement that read: "As lifelong Kansans and Republicans, each of us considered it a great honor and privilege to serve as president of the Kansas Senate. We were guided by important principles: Lead the chamber with honesty and integrity. Listen to and consider all viewpoints. And, respect and defend the legislative process and will of the people of Kansas. Unfortunately, Kansas policymaking in recent years has been marred by extreme partisanship and ideology-driven decisions. Too often, the will of the people has been ignored." At the end of the Spring 2020 legislative session, Wagle held the senate in session for 24 straight hours, passing bills to curtail Governor Laura Kelly's ability to exercise emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic and blocking an attempt to pass the expansion of Medicaid. The legality of the legislature's actions was disputed.

Lt. Governor candidacy 2006

Jim Barnett, who served in the Kansas state Senate from 2001–2009, ran in the 2006 Kansas gubernatorial election with Wagle as his running mate. They won a crowded Republican primary by almost 10% of the votes. Although a large majority of Kansans are Republicans, their ticket received only 40.44% of the votes in the general election, losing to incumbents, Governor Kathleen Sebelius and Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson. Barnett ran for governor again in 2018., but lost the primary.

Ambassadorship pursuit

In 2018, when Wagle sought an appointment to a diplomatic post she listed Wichita native and Las Vegas billionaire Phil Ruffin, a casino partner of President Donald Trump, as a reference just days after she voted for a bill beneficial to Ruffin’s business interests in Kansas. Wagle sought an ambassadorship to Ireland, Belize, or Belgium, or other State Department positions. She made her aspirations known in a May 7, 2018 email to a campaign operative shortly after the legislative session ended. Wagle wrote, "I'm thinking it's an excellent time," to leave Kansas politics while requesting that the operative forward her cover letter and resume which included Ruffin as a reference, to an administration official. The request followed ten days after Wagle voted to establish an avenue for racetrack casinos to operate in Kansas, a change sought by Ruffin, the owner of both Wichita's Greyhound Park and The Woodlands racetrack in Kansas City, Kansas. Wagle had opposed prior efforts to hold a new County vote to permit slot machines at the Wichita Greyhound Park which Sedgwick County voters had turned down in 2007. Ruffin had threatened to close down the park after the initiative was defeated.
Wagle had said, "Those of us who oppose gaming don’t have millions of dollars to fend off Mr. Ruffin every time he wants to push a ballot initiative." Her campaign spokesman wrote that Wagle’s change in voting for the 2018 gaming bill came "after meeting with Mr. Ruffin and other leaders in the Wichita business community and after learning about the uneven tax treatment that had been leveled on the industry. Tax fairness and tax equity is a top concern for Senator Wagle." When interviewed, Ruffin said Wagle would make a good U.S. senator, dismissing the contention that her position change regarding expanded gaming led to his support. Wagle's pitch for such an ambassadorial post came weeks after Wichita Republican congressman Mike Pompeo received U.S. Senate approval as United States Secretary of State in April 2018. Wagle's campaign spokesman said Pompeo did not have a role in promoting her candidacy to the White House: "While she does not recall speaking to Secretary Pompeo about her interest in serving in the Administration, she did reach out to the President's team and some of their mutual friends, including Phil Ruffin, in this process."

U.S. Senate campaign (2020)

In January 2019, Wagle formed an exploratory committee to assess entering the 2020 race to replace the retiring Pat Roberts in the U.S. Senate. On July 23, 2019, she filed the paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission necessary to run. Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach had already entered the race. Wagle criticized Kobach's role in a controversial, privately-financed scheme to build a southern border wall to impede the unlawful entry of migrants to the United States. Wagle expressed support for the construction of a federally designed, bid and funded wall, but added, "We don’t need some rogue organization going out and building the wall." Wichita and Las Vegas billionaire and casino business partner of Donald Trump, Phil Ruffin, has been supportive of Wagle's U.S. Senate campaign. On April 23, 2020, Mike Kuckelman, the chair of the Kansas GOP, urged Wagle to drop out of the U.S. Senate race, due to her weak fundraising. She had about $515,000 in unexpended campaign funds. Wagle persistently polled in the single digits in 2020.

Primary Debate

In a live-streamed debate on May 22, 2020, in a ballroom devoid of spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all candidates praised president Donald Trump. Kris Kobach took on his opponents who all agreed that he could not win the general election against presumptive Democratic nominee, state Senator Barbara Bollier. They were Wagle, former Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Dave Lindstrom, wealthy businessman Bob Hamilton, and incumbent congressman Roger Marshall. Marshall said, regarding Kobach, "We cannot afford to send a failed candidate back this fall who will lose to Barbara Bollier and hand the Senate majority over to Chuck Schumer." "Instead, we need to send a tried and trusted friend of President Trump." Referring to Marshall, Kobach replied, "Do you want a go-along-to-get-along kind of senator, a gutless wonder who never takes a stand, or, do you want someone who poses a threat?" Hamilton said voters didn't have to choose between Kobach, who couldn't win, and a moderate Marshall, in whose behest the state party leaders had urged Senator Wagle and Lindstrom, to drop out of the race. Objecting to the party pressure, Lindstrom characterized his opponents as "shortsighted, self-serving...career politicians who are divisive, controversial," and, "have a record of losing elections." Wagle touted her own candidacy, saying, "It’s very, very important that we send a leader to the U.S. Senate who is articulate, who is persuasive, who other people respect." "I'm the one who's already debated Barbara Bollier." "I win on the Senate floor. I've beat her numerous times," "...the conservative voice that can beat that liberal voice in the U.S. Senate."

Other political involvement

Wagle served as a delegate to the 1996 Republican National Convention. She served as National Chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council in 2006. As of 2019, she was a member of ALEC's Board of Directors.

Political positions

Abortion

While Wagle identified as pro-choice as a young adult, the experience of pregnancy led her to change her stance. She is considered a staunchly pro-life legislator.
In 2003, Wagle "successfully pushed a bill to require abortion clinics to provide information on human development to women considering an abortion".
In 2015, Wagle sponsored a bill known as the Kansas Unborn Child Protection from Dismemberment Abortion Act. It would have prohibited a person from performing, or attempting to perform, a dismemberment abortion unless it was necessary to preserve the life of the mother. The law was found unconstitutional by the Kansas Supreme Court.
Wagle opposed the confirmation of David Toland as Kansas Secretary of Commerce in 2019. As director of a local non-profit, Tolan had obtained a grant from a charitable fund posthumously named after George Tiller, an assassinated physician who had performed abortions. The grant funding did not relate to abortion; however, Wagle's spokesperson, Shannon Golden, called the relationship with the Tiller fund "concerning". Toland was later confirmed.
In 2020, Wagle linked unblocking passage of a bill to expand Medicare in Kansas to passage of a constitutional amendment that prohibited abortion.

Gambling

Although Wagle and her husband own bingo halls, she had long opposed expansion of other gambling in Kansas. Six months after receiving a contribution of $1,000 to her 2018 state senate campaign from Ruffin, the owner of Kansas racehorse and greyhound tracks, she reversed her position. Since that time, Ruffin has scaled up his support. He gave her $1,000 more for her state senate campaign, then contributed $5,000 more, the maximum allowable in federal campaigns, to her 2020 primary for the U.S. Senate. Asked about the contributions by a McClatchy newspaper reporter, Ruffin became angry and ended the call.

Government accountability

In 2018, Wagle cosponsored legislation with Kansas Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley that worked to bring more transparency to state contracts. The bill required lobbyist registration for anyone attempting to influence officials in state agencies or the executive branch over a state contract. Prior to the enactment of this legislation, lobbying efforts were only required to be disclosed if such efforts were directed toward the legislative branch. Wagle stated the need for this legislation arose due to a lack of transparency within the administration of Republican former Governor Sam Brownback.
As Commerce Committee Chairwoman, Wagle began an investigation into the Kansas Bioscience Authority in 2011. The KBA was founded under former Governor Kathleen Sebelius with the goal of spurring growth in the bioscience sector. The KBA had an independent board that approved spending. Wagle called for an investigation due to excessive spending on salaries, benefits, travel, and entertainment. Wagle noticed a stark difference between the state's 12-year investment and its final return. The state had invested $240 million into the KBA. The legislature and Governor Sam Brownback intended to fill budget holes left by massive tax cuts benefitting the wealthiest Kansans by selling the KBA for $25 million and slashing budgets for highways, schools and Medicare. The sale of the authority netted only $14 million.
Wagle called for an audit and review for the abuse of taxpayer dollars which ultimately led to the shutdown of KBA for findings of misspent funds. The legislature passed a $1.2 billion tax increase and overrode Brownback's veto of the measure. Wagle cast the deciding vote to override but did not comment on her vote.

Healthcare

Governor Laura Kelly has long tried to expand Medicaid coverage in Kansas, but Wagle has blocked it, despite what would otherwise be an easy passage into law. Public support has been strong, including with over 70 Kansas Catholic nuns signing an open letter urging legislators to move forward on the issue. They wrote, "We cannot wait any longer to give Kansans the care they so desperately need."
Three Republican former Kansas Senate presidents asked Wagle to reverse what they called her "reckless decision," to tie expansion to passage of an anti-abortion amendment to the state constitution. Kelly called Wagle’s actions "immoral." She said, "The lives of the people of Kansas are really on the line here." In April 2020 Kelly instituted orders to restrict the rapid spread of COVID-19, limiting public gatherings to a maximum of ten individuals. Since the orders would have applied to Easter Sunday masses, the Republican-majority Legislative Coordinating Council reversed her orders. Wagle said, "I think they were just very upset with the fact that the government was going to tell them that they couldn't practice their religion." Responding to questions regarding Kansans contracting the virus and dying, Wagle said people's behaviors wouldn't change much, as they know the virus is highly contagious and want to contain its spread, "..but don't tell us we can’t practice our religious freedoms." Of the initial eleven identified sources of contagion in Kansas, three were identified as having come from recent religious gatherings. In response Kelly announced she had instructed her legal counsel to file suit against the LCC's order that had overturned her executive order that limited the size of church assemblies to ten people. Kelly said she would challenge the LCC's decision by asking the Kansas Supreme Court to expedite a decision on the matter. The LCC agreed that her order was good public policy but a violation of constitutional rights. Kelly responded, "What the LCC did yesterday, in concert with the AG, weakened and confused our emergency response efforts, putting every Kansan at risk." "I will not stand by with lives in jeopardy." Kansas law gives the governor broad powers under emergency declarations, with executive orders carrying the full force of law. Kelly said she would challenge whether the LCC's recently claimed authority to interfere with her orders, as a possible violation of separation of powers. "I'm very confident we are on firm legal ground to do this," Kelly said. "We felt this way for a while, but we didn't need to do anything about it until the LCC’s actions yesterday." Forty-four state governors had imposed similar restrictions, with 18 states closing churches completely. As a precedent, Kansas churches had been ordered closed during the 1918–1919 "Spanish Flu" pandemic. Kelly said Vice President Mike Pence told her that he supported her effort to limit mass gatherings. Still, the governor clashed over the issue with Wagle and other Republican leaders and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. The governor said she offered to tweak the language of the orders and avoid a court battle, but Republicans refused. Wagle said Kelly was, "...playing politics with this lawsuit." "Despite repeated attempts to solve this problem and create a constitutional order," Republicans alleged, "the governor has opted to create confusion and tie this issue up in the courts." Kansas Department of Health and Environment Secretary Lee Norman discussed the decision by the Republican LCC legislators to overturn the governors ban on large church crowds, saying, "Whatever Kansas legislators do doesn't reverse what the public needs to do...Stay home," "...despite what the 'leaders' of the Legislature say. Norman said, "We are so close, and they are doing politics. Don't fall for it!" He added: "I'm angry at what 'leaders' did, who put all of us at risk for their political posturing." The Kansas Supreme Court, meeting on April 11, reinstated Kelly's orders, saying the LCC's reasoning was "flawed," and it did not have the power to overrule the governor. Wagle contended, "Governor Kelly’s orders display her misplaced priorities when she makes it an arrestable offense to attend church while prisoners are rioting, businesses are permanently closing, and state agencies are fumbling. "Other Governors have kept places of worship open with strong encouragement for people to stay home and practice good social distancing. I have faith in Kansans and encourage them to do the same."

Sexual harassment reform

After former Democratic staffer Abbie Hodgson complained about widespread harassment and inappropriate requests from legislators, Wagle said that in five years as senate president, she had never received any such complaints. Subsequently in 2017, Wagle worked to implement changes in sexual harassment policies at the Kansas Capitol. Those changes included mandatory training sessions, anonymous reporting, and protections for interns.

Supreme Court appointment process

Wagle has expressed disagreement with state Supreme Court decisions and has attempted to change the process for nomination and confirmation of justices. In 2013, during the term of Republican Governor Sam Brownback, Wagle unsuccessfully advocated for a constitutional amendment that would allow the governor of Kansas to nominate state Supreme Court justices.

Personal life

Wagle is married to Tom Wagle. The Wagles, who reside in Wichita, have four children, and Susan Wagle has three step-children. As of July 2020, the Wagles had 16 grandchildren.
Wagle survived bouts with cancer in 1995, 2003, and 2012. Her son, Paul, survived leukemia during his childhood. In March of 2020, Wagle's daughter, Julia Scott, died from multiple myeloma after a four-year battle with the disease.