ShawneeDispatch.com

A Shawnee businessman has announced that he plans to seek the Republican nomination for the 39th District seat in the Kansas House of Representatives.

Owen Donohoe, a resident of Shawnee and owner of Donohoe & Associates, a medical devices distributor, will face Quentin Brewer in the primary election for the seat vacated by Ray Cox. Cox, who has endorsed Brewer's candidacy, announced he wouldn't seek reelection after serving 14 years as the representative for the 39th Kansas House District.

No Democratic candidate has announced for the race.

Donohoe, who has no experience in public office, said he is a traditional Republican, describing himself as a fiscal conservative, for limited government, a strong proponent of individual property rights and "pro-life."

Brewer, the co-owner of Brewer's Price Chopper in Bonner Springs and a resident of Shawnee, is also a political novice, and has described himself as a moderate Republican in the mold of Cox.

Donohoe said he was motivated to run by the confluence of several issues important to him: taxes, education, healthcare, energy and immigration.

Donohoe said taxes were a concern to him as a small-business owner and "we need to keep them in line."

He said that through his company he hears a lot of complaints from doctors as well as patients about the state of health care. Donohoe blames paperwork in part for increasing premiums each year, which he compared to a tax increase on employers.

Donohoe said he thought investment in resources to produce ethanol could be a way to curb dependence on foreign oil.

Although Donohoe is running as a conservative Republican against a moderate Republican in a district that has elected a moderate the last seven elections, and that same moderate -- Cox -- is supporting his opponent, Donohoe said he thought he stood a good chance of winning.

"I think every election is a new election -- everyone starts at zero," he said.