Taking on a sitting Speaker of the House would make most legislators a touch nervous.

But Rep. Mike O’Neal, R-Hutchison, is feeling confident he will be taking over the Speaker of the House position in the upcoming Legislative session and said his strategy for gaining the position is simple.

“You just need to convince the majority plus one of your Republican colleagues that you are the man for the job,” O’Neal told Kansas Liberty. “And I think we will get it done.”

O’Neal will be facing off against the current Speaker, Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, who has already served one two-year term. Neufeld has said he is ready to resume his duties as Speaker and that he is planning on serving the traditional four years in the position.

The leadership election will be decided Monday in Topeka. 

Neufeld replaced Doug Mays in 2006 after Mays retired from the legislature after four years as Speaker. Traditionally, the Speaker serves no more than two two-year terms.

Sherriene Jones-Sontag, the Speaker’s director of communications, said Neufeld’s ability to create channels of communications between moderate and conservative Republicans should help Neufeld get re-elected as Speaker.

Neufeld was not available for comment.

“A lot of his work has revolved around bringing the caucus together, and with 78 members everyone has different stands and different issues that are important and he has worked hard to get everyone to work together,” Jones-Sontag, told Kansas Liberty. “He always listened to everyone no matter where they were on the issues or whether or not they agreed on the issues.”

Neufeld’s time as Speaker has been fraught with legislation battles between Governor Sebelius and the House.  Neufeld and Sebelius publicly disagreed on several issues including the expansion of a coal-powered plant in Holcomb, and the expanding gambling legislation. 

Jones-Sontag said Neufeld’s work in promoting Republican candidates should also be considered as a reason to keep Neufeld as Speaker.

“He has worked extremely hard the last two years getting Republicans elected and re-elected,” she said.

O’Neal, the current chair of the Judiciary committee, and the vice-chair of the Education Budget, said he thinks the legislature would benefit if he were elected to the position.

“I have good interpersonal advocacy skills, and I have negotiated and mediated different issues while serving under a lot of different speakers,” he said. “And we are about to face some pretty challenging times so the caucus is ready to make some changes, I’m ready to do that and I think the caucus agrees.”

The House minority position will also be decided Monday.  Jim Ward of Wichita, Paul Davis of Lawrence and Bill Feuerborn, are competing to replace current House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney of Greensburg.

McKinney was appointed by Sebelius to replace Republican Lynn Jenkins as state treasurer after Jenkins defeated Nancy Boyda for a seat in the U.S. House.

The Senate will also be selecting leadership next week with current Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, facing off against challenger Sen. Chris Steineger, D-Kansas City.  

- Holly Smith

Related Kansas Liberty reports:

• Taxpayers' group says the candidate for Senate Democratic Leader has a better rating than GOP Senate leaders Morris and Vratil. Read More…
• McKinney appointment removes one of the few Democratic moderates from a leadership post in the House. Read More…
• Nick Jordan analyzes the closely-fought battle being waged for control of the Kansas Senate. Read More…
• Steineger versus Hensley: 'This is more about performance than philosophy.' Read More…

The week in Review