TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW)_ Securities Commissioner Chris Biggs was appointed Secretary of State by Gov. Mark Parkinson Tuesday morning. The 51 year-old Democrat had been Securities Commissioner since 2003, following a loss to Phill Kline in a close race for attorney general in 2002.

Biggs had already said he would run for the seat in November. He made that announcement on the same day that the previous Secretary, Ron Thornburgh, announced he would resign. He will face Kansas City Senator Chris Steineger in the Democratic primary this fall.

The winner will then square off against Shawnee Co. Elections Commissioner Elizabeth Ensley for Republican Party chairman Kris Kobach, or J.R. Claeys in November.

Thornburgh resigned in February in order to accept a position as Senior Vice-President of Sales and Marketing with NIC, Inc. According to its website, the Olathe-based company provides outsourced eGovernment portals, building and managing official government Web sites and eGovernment services for 23 states and hundreds of local governments in the United States.