The Bourbon County Republican Party will meet Tuesday, Sept. 1 at 6 p.m. in the Ellis Building at Fort Scott Community College to select a nominee for county clerk.
The meeting comes one day after County Clerk Susan Walker’s resignation takes effect Aug. 31.
Under Kansas law — K.S.A. 19-303 and K.S.A. 25-3902 — the vacancy is filled by a convention of the party’s precinct committeemen and committeewomen, who select a nominee. That person is then appointed by the governor. The party has 21 days from formal notice of the vacancy to convene, and the governor has seven days to make the appointment after receiving the convention’s certificate.
Anyone interested in being considered may contact party chair Kaety Bowers at bourbon.county.republicans@gmail.com. Under the party’s stated criteria, any registered voter eligible to hold public office in Kansas can be considered.
The party had begun the replacement process earlier this month before pausing it at the direction of the Kansas Secretary of State’s office, which said the process could not proceed until a formal resignation had been submitted. Bowers said at the time that the party would act “the moment formal notice is properly filed.” Walker signed her resignation letter to Gov. Laura Kelly on Aug. 15.