Kenton Lee "Kent" Glasscock is Republican politician from Manhattan, Kansas

Manhattan, Kansas

Manhattan is a city located in the northeastern part of the state of Kansas in the United States, at the junction of the Kansas River and Big Blue River. It is the county seat of Riley County and the city extends into Pottawatomie County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 52,281...

, USA. Glasscock was born in Warrensburg, Missouri

Warrensburg, Missouri

Warrensburg is a city in Johnson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 16,340 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Johnson County. The Warrensburg Micropolitan Statistical Area consists of Johnson County. It is home to the University of Central Missouri.-History:Warrensburg...

, to Bill and Frances Glasscock. He served as Speaker of the House of the State of Kansas from 2001 to 2003. During his tenure, he served as the co-author of Governor Bill Graves

Bill Graves

William Preston "Bill" Graves , was the 43rd Governor of Kansas from 1995 until 2003.Graves was born in Salina, Kansas in 1953 to parents who owned a trucking firm...

 budgets. Glasscock served as State Representative from the 62nd District from 1991-2003, was Mayor of Manhattan in 1989 and served as City Commissioner from 1987-1990.

Candidate for Governor

During the 2002 election, Glasscock pursued the office of Governor of Kansas

Governor of Kansas

The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...

 in a large field of conservatives and moderates. Glasscock announced while speaking to the Manhattan Konza Rotary Club. Glasscock left the race due to health problems. Kansas Attorney General Carla Stovall

Carla Stovall

Carla J. Stovall , also known as Carla Stovall Steckline, is a Republican politician from Marion, Kansas who served as Attorney General of the State of Kansas from 1995 to 2003....

 briefly campaigned for the Republican nomination for the office of Governor with Glasscock as her running mate. Despite an early lead in the polls, Stovall withdrew from the race in order to get married and spend more time with family.

Glasscock returned to the race and was the front runner in campaign funds. Stovall's abrupt exit from the race caused the Republican party leaders to call a summit with Governor Bill Graves. Lt. Governor Gary Sherrer, Glasscock, Mark Parkinson, and the Governor's Chief of Staff Joyce Glasscock (spouse of Kent Glasscock). They met to strategize who should seek the nomination and take on eventual Democratic nominee Kathleen Sebelius

Kathleen Sebelius

Kathleen Sebelius is an American politician currently serving as the 21st Secretary of Health and Human Services. She was the second female Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009, the Democratic respondent to the 2008 State of the Union address, and chair-emerita of the Democratic Governors...

. Governor Graves opted to support no one, and the result was an expensive 3-way race. Glasscock joined up with long-time Mayor of Wichita Bob Knight.Bob Knight names Kent Glasscock as running mate, Wichita Business Journal, May 20, 2002 The Knight-Glasscock ticket finished 3rd behind Senator Dave Kerr and Mary Birch in 2nd, and then State Treasurer Tim Shallenberger. Kansas did not elect the conservative nominee Shallenberger, as Sebelius cruised to victory.

Kansas House service

Glasscock represented Manhattan’s 62nd House District since 1991. First elected to the House in 1990, he served the state legislature in many capacities including Speaker of the House, House Majority Leader, chair of the Government Organization and Elections Committee, chair of the Local Government Committee, and vice-chair of the Taxation Committee. He also served as a member of several committees: Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources, Economic Development, the Joint Committee on Pensions and Investments, and the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations.

Glasscock's tenure as Speaker of the House and House Majority Leader was challenged with moderate versus conservative battles over control of committees and legislation. Glasscock was elected to speaker on the 4th ballot after three ties. Despite these challenges, Glasscock successfully led a legislative initiative that made the state's single largest one-time investment in higher education research infrastructure; advanced an innovative early childhood Skills for Success education investment; and produced balanced budgets that protected funding for both higher education and K-12 education. In 1992, the National Council on State Governments selected Glasscock as one of 32 members of the annual Henry Toll Fellowship Program, the premier leadership development program for state government officials.

Education, family, business

He earned his undergraduate degree in English from Kansas State University

Kansas State University

Kansas State University, commonly shortened to K-State, is an institution of higher learning located in Manhattan, Kansas, in the United States...

 and is a graduate of Manhattan High School

Manhattan High School

Manhattan High School is a fully accredited public high school in Manhattan, Kansas, serving students in grades 9-12. It is part of the Unified School District No. 383. For the 2010–2011 school year, Manhattan High had an enrollment of 1,984 students....

. Glasscock is married to Joyce Glassock, a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, who served for six years as Governor Graves' Chief of Staff and for two years as Graves' Secretary of the Kansas Department of Administration. Joyce, a native of Halmation, Missouri, also served in the senate Office of former US Senator Jack Danforth, served the Bush 41 administration, and served as Field Representative for Bob Dole's presidential bid in 1988.

Following 2002, the Glasscocks continued to live in Manhattan to work in private and local business and perform non-profit charitable work.

Glasscock is president and chief operating officer of the National Institute for Strategic Technology Acquisition and Commercialization (NISTAC). This entity is affiliated with Kansas State University. NISTAC supports basic research through a variety of programs including Centers of Excellence at state universities.

Kent and his wife, Joyce have two sons.

Glasscock also is president of his family business, the Kansas Lumber Homestore.