. ▁In ▁his ▁role ▁as ▁chairman , ▁he ▁opposed ▁a ▁city ▁sales ▁tax ▁increase , ▁opposed ▁W ich ita ▁tax p ayer ▁fund ing ▁of ▁art ▁projects , ▁converted ▁a ▁Democratic ▁strong hold ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Kansas ▁to ▁a ▁Republican ▁strong hold , ▁created ▁a ▁solid ▁pro - life ▁majority ▁in ▁the ▁Sed g wick ▁County ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁and ▁worked ▁to ▁elect ▁Tod d ▁T ia hr t ▁for ▁Kansas ' ▁Four th ▁Cong r essional ▁District . ▁He ▁res igned ▁as ▁chairman ▁on ▁June ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁the ▁Kansas ▁State ▁Senate . ▁He ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁candidate ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁Kansas ▁State ▁Senate ▁seat ▁( 2 8 th ▁district ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁he ▁lost ▁in ▁a ▁Republican ▁primary ▁for ▁the ▁seat . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁he ▁ran ▁in ▁a ▁primary ▁for ▁the ▁Kansas ▁State ▁House ▁in ▁District ▁ 9 6 . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁Kansas ▁state ▁Republican ▁party ▁level , ▁G iet zen ▁worked ▁to ▁bring ▁a ▁pro - life ▁leadership ▁to ▁the ▁Kansas ▁state ▁Republican ▁Party , ▁while ▁he ▁was ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Sed g wick ▁County ▁Republican ▁Party . ▁He ▁serves ▁as ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Kansas ▁Republican ▁Co al ition ▁for ▁Life . ▁G iet zen ▁public ly ▁critic ized ▁former ▁G OP ▁state ▁chairman ▁Tim ▁Sh allen berger ▁for ▁wel coming ▁Republic