Schollenberger earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the College of Wooster in 1974, and a master's degree in journalism from the University Of Missouri School Of Journalism in 1979.

He interned in the Washington, D.C., office of Rep. John F. Seiberling a Democrat from Ohio, after helping Seiberling win an upset victory over a 20-year Republican incumbent in 1970.

Schollenberger also served as issues director for Sen. John H. Glenn Jr. a Democrat from Ohio, who ran his first successful race for the U.S. Senate in 1973.

As a past member of United Auto Workers Local 420 of Bedford, Ohio and United Rubber Workers Local 302 of Wooster, Ohio, Schollenberger is a supporter of the people's right to organize unions and collectively bargain.

With managing editor experience at Stow Citizen, a large weekly newspaper in Ohio, Schollenberger in 1981 moved to Hutchinson and served as farm writer for the Hutchinson News were he traveled throughout western Kansas covering production agriculture, the annual wheat harvest, and the annual meetings of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers. Other assignments included providing coverage of the Kansas City Board of Trade (the world's largest red winter wheat commodity exchange) and Farmland Industries, Inc., then the world's largest farmer-owned cooperative.

Schollenberger later joined the business desk at the Kansas City Times (the morning newspaper of the Kansas City Star) covering agribusiness. He wrote the Kansas City Times weekly Farm Times page covering the Farmers Home Administration -- farm foreclosures of the early 1980s - the growing animal health industry - annual meetings of the national Farm Bureau Federation, and USDA crop policy announcements both in Kansas and Washington, D.C.

Schollenberger has spent over ten years in marketing and public relations in the animal pharmaceutical and vaccine industry.

He spent time as a lecturer in the University of Kansas journalism school and the marketing communications graduate program at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park; and currently serves a second term as president of the Paddock Court Homes Association in Prairie Village. Schollenberger is also a member of the board of directors of the Secrest Arboretum at the Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center, Wooster, Ohio; a division of Ohio State University.

Schollenberger has enjoyed 19 years of marriage to his wife Jennifer who hails from Weston, Missouri were her late uncle, Congressman William R. Hull, Jr., a Missouri Democrat served as the states Sixth Congressional District Representative in Washington from 1955 to1973.

Schollenbergers father, the late Charles S. Schollenberger, PhD, was a research chemist who invented thermoplastic polyurethanes for B.F. Goodrich Co. in the late 1950s.

His grandfather, the late Charles J. Schollenberger, was a pioneer agronomist (soil chemist) and soil conservationist with the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, aka Ohio Agricultural Research & Development Center located in Wooster; a division of Ohio State University.

Schollenberger, before making his official announcement is taking time to meet with Kansans throughout the state.

"We never seem to see our senators once they get elected; these guys are public servants, they need to be out visiting their constituents."

Schollenberger hopes to change that.

He is a strong advocate of comprehensive new regulations for Wall Street and financial institutions. If elected, Schollenberger will seek a seat on the Senate Agriculture Committee where an opportunity of regulating the banking industry does exist.

"A lot of people lost their savings; their retirement income was lost in the stock market crash. We need to move beyond party boundaries and touch people personally. You work hard and save; you should be able to count on your money not being lost. My parents were very frugal after living through the Great Depression. I don't believe in spending money that you don't have," said Schollenberger.

Schollenberger says he remains very optimistic about the campaign, attributing his career for preparing him for a senate seat.

"It is a great honor to seek this seat; I would be remiss if I did not try.

"We do have a web strategy that will mount a state and national campaign."

The official web site expected to launch within the week is accessible at schollenberger2010.com.

For other possible hopefuls, one source revealed Kansas could hear a Democratic candidate announce in as little as two weeks. However, the source declined to give a name.

Rumors of a possible candidate circulating earlier this year suggested Wichita native, Dan Glickman, who represented the Fourth Congressional District of Kansas for 18 years. Glickman later served as the United States Secretary of Agriculture from 1995 until 2001. He currently is Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, and serves on the board of directors of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and the board of Friends of the World Food Program. Reports have labeled this as mere speculation.

Another potential candidate's name mentioned is Fredonia, Kansas native, Thomas Wiggans.

Wiggans graduated from Kansas University in 1975 with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy and earned an M.B.A. from Southern Methodist University. He is a life member of the Kansas Alumni Association. He serves on the Athletics Committee for KU First and is a life member of the Chancellors Club. During KU First, he supported pharmacy and National Merit Scholarships, the Dole Institute and facilities for athletics.

Wiggans, with a long background in bioscience and technology as well as pharmaceuticals, currently serves as Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Peplin, Inc. Wiggans is a Director of Sangamo Biosciences and Somaxon Pharmaceuticals. He also serves on the Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the Board of Trustees of the University of Kansas Endowment Association. In addition, he is Chairman of the Biotechnology Institute, a non-profit educational organization.

Wiggans, his wife Kathryn, and their two daughters, currently reside in Atherton, California.

Kansas has not seen a Democrat hold a U.S. Senate seat since George McGill was re-elected in 1932.

Kansans will likely have many choices in what is shaping up to be a heated mid-term election. Possibility remains strong that three Democratic challengers could make announcements and file before the June 10 deadline. Already announced Republican candidates Jerry Moran and Todd Tiahrt could face serious opposition for the soon to be vacated seat held by U.S. Senator Sam Brownback.

Brownback's sight is set on filling Governor Mark Parkinson's position. Parkinson will not seek to maintain his post.

Democratic state leadership is unlikely to sit idle, handing over the reins without a fair fight; a well-known name may emerge in the very near future to challenge Brownback.