(WICHITA, Kan.) — Paul Ryan may be from Wisconsin, but he has a connection to Kansas.
From 1995 to 1997 Ryan was a top aide to then-Senator Sam Brownback. Ryan was Brownback's protege, serving as his legislative director before running for Congress himself in 1998.
Wichita State political science professor Melvin Kahn says that relationship could pay off for Kansas if Romney and Ryan win, given the federal budget deficit and the fact that Brownback is now governor.
"They're going to be cutting back on a lot of goodies to the states," Kahn says. "The emphasis is going to be on deficit reduction, and what little there is I think will go to people they have personally admired and respected."
