Former Lake Quivira Mayor Larry Meeker is new chairman of Kansas Democrats

Kansas Democrats have chosen former Lake Quivira Mayor Larry Meeker as their party’s new chairman.

Meeker was picked Saturday at the party’s convention in Topeka. He replaces Joan Wagnon, who announced her retirement late last year.

He narrowly lost a House race in Kansas last fall.

Meeker is a former vice president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He inherits a party that doesn’t hold a statewide office, and is searching for candidates for 2016 races.

Dave Helling, dhelling@kcstar.com