Politico said it first, now we have this take from Senate Guru:
Kansas: Rumor has it that popular Democratic Governor Kathleen Sebelius might be interested in becoming the next Chancellor of the University of Kansas, her alma mater, which would put the kibosh on a possible 2010 Senate race. That would be a bummer, especially after losing Governor Janet Napolitano's potential Senate candidacy to President-elect Obama's Cabinet.
While I don't think Sebelius is actually interested in becoming Chancellor of the university, I'm really not sure why people have decided to think doing such a thing would prevent her from running for the Senate in 2 years- just like I didn't understand why people said the same think when she was a likely Cabinet choice.
On the later point, we only have to look north to Nebraska in this past election for an example of someone taking a Cabinet post and then turning around and running for a Senate seat two years later- and winning, too.
As to taking a job as a university chancellor only to then leave it and do something else, two former US presidents did just that- Woodrow Wilson and Dwight Eisenhower.
Sure, taking a new job only two years before an election would make it less likely Sebelius would jump into a race, but certainly doesn't preclude it as some of the Internet talking head seems to think it would.
Cross posted from Kansas Jackass.