In May 2006, Governor Kathleen Sebelius announced that Parkinson had switched parties and was her running mate for her reelection campaign, succeeding retiring Lieutenant Governor John E. Moore, also a former Republican who had switched parties shortly before he joined a ticket with Sebelius.
On May 2006, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius announced that Parkinson would be her running mate for re-election. Parkinson had switched parties and succeeded retiring Lieutenant Governor John E. Moore, who also changed his affiliation to join the ticket with Sebelius shortly before.