Michael Tabman acknowledges he’s “late to the game.” That does not, however, temper his expectations of victory.
Tabman has entered the race to become governor of Kansas. He is one of eight Democratic candidates to file for the office. The other candidates are Arden Andersen, Jack Bergeson, Carl Brewer, Laura Kelly, Robert Klingenberg, Joshua Svaty and Jim Ward.
Currently a security consultant and media analyst, Tabman has a law enforcement background as a police officer and was with the FBI for 24 years reaching the level of special agent in charge.
A resident of Overland Park since 2001, Tabman is a member of The Shul - Chabad of Leawood, where the family enjoys attending services and activities.
Among the last to declare for the Democratic nomination for Kansas governor, Tabman said his biggest challenge will be to gain name recognition between now and the Aug. 7 primary election. He plans to tour the state to meet with and listen to voters. Tabman is confident his executive experience, leadership abilities and not being a professional politician will set him apart from the field.
“I’m coming at this from another perspective,” said Tabman. “We’ve seen government work and not work. Let’s try something new that has a different idea and a different point of view, a credible point of view.”
Tabman’s decision to campaign for governor was prompted when it became clear then-Gov. Sam Brownback would step down to become ambassador at large for international religious freedom with the Trump administration. Tabman floated the idea of running for governor on social media and quickly found traction from fellow Democrats and from associates who had unsuccessfully tried to get him to run for the office of Johnson County sheriff.
The encouragement and pledged support convinced Tabman to run. The underpinning of his campaign, however, likely took seed with a shooting incident a year ago in an Olathe bar and when the gunman shouted “Get out of my country!” while firing at persons of foreign descent. (One man was killed, and the shooter plead guilty to a charge of first-degree murder and will spend the rest of his life in jail. A federal hate crime charge is still pending.) Seeing such hatred on display and in a community he so deeply treasures “put me over the top.”
“There’s a tone in our country that upsets me,” Tabman said. “Yes, it’s important we pay attention to fiscal responsibility. But I also want to change the tone. The toxicity is tangible.”
A late start on his campaign notwithstanding, Tabman has wasted little time weighing in on key issues through his website — www.tabmanforkansas.com — and in public appearances. In late March he submitted testimony in opposition to House Bill 2789, proposed legislation requiring Kansas schools to arm teachers or staff and creates a liability if a school district chooses not to do so.
“The belief an armed teacher will return fire and immediately eliminate the threat is not based on facts,” Tabman stated in submitted testimony. “One missed shot is another casualty. A responding officer will not have the time to recognize an armed threat from an armed teacher. As a former law enforcement officer and executive who has entered danger zones, I would want as few guns present as possible.”
Tabman puts much emphasis on his FBI background as a qualifying factor for becoming governor. In his role as special agent in charge, Tabman said he was the de facto CEO of a division. In that capacity he exercised oversight of all personnel, finance and budget, compliance, legal and all investigations and operations.
“A governor is a chief executive,” Tabman states in his background information. “For more than a decade I led government operations, making tough and consequential decisions daily.”
Properly funding education is one of Tabman’s top priorities. His interest in education is due in no small part to a family connection to the school system. His wife Barbara Tabman is a special education para in the Blue Valley School district.
“My wife and I talk all the time about the needs of all our kids and the challenges our teachers experience due to lack of funding and support,” said Tabman. He said coming up with necessary school funding will require new ideas and a collaborative effort involving the legislature and a governor willing to do what’s right for Kansas schools.
Tabman does not expect his Judaism will play any role in his campaign or when serving as governor if elected. “I do not wear my religion on my sleeve,” he said. “My beliefs guide the kind of person I am and my positions, but I never want to pose my beliefs on anyone else.”
Tabman said he recognizes the deep financial challenges facing the state but said past policies obviously have been unsuccessful. “You simply cannot reduce revenues and increase expenses,” Tabman said. “How does that ever work?” He said it the governor’s role is to find answers and take a collaborative, open approach to finding solutions.
“I have the background to right this ship,” Tabman said. “I have something to offer.”