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.
In May 2006, Governor Kathleen Sebelius appointed Parkinson as her running mate in the upcoming election. This change came after Lieutenant Governor John E. Moore's party switch and departure from office, where he had previously been a Republican.