A few months later, Betts was elected to a three-year term in the Senate, winning by 72 percent over Republican Treatha Brown-Foster.

Betts was 25, the youngest person ever elected to the Kansas Senate, according to Myrne Roe, his campaign manager.

During his service in the House, Betts traveled to Australia and met his wife, Tania, there. She is a native of Sri Lanka. Betts was sent to the "Land Down Under" by the American Council for Young Political Leaders.

Now the confident, bold Betts, 30, is running for Congress.

Betts described his bid to unseat 4th District Congressman Todd Tiahrt as "all or nothing."

He told a crowd of about 20 at Southwestern College Wednesday that enough American blood had been shed in Iraq. The United States is spending $10 billion a month on the war and 4,023 American fighters have been killed.

"We need to end this war as soon as possible," Betts said. "If those soldiers there, those Iraqis, stand up, we'll stop fighting." Applause came from the audience.

Betts, from Wichita, touts his age as an asset, not a liability. He would be the youngest person elected to Congress from Kansas. He also would be the first African American.

Youth brings ideas and leadership, he argued, countering the notion that he's moving too fast.

I'm right on time," he said. "I'm right on schedule."

In the interview, Betts made clear that he is running on change and hopes this will be a change election that favors Democrats. He mentioned his association with presidential hopeful Barack Obama, whom he met at the Democratic Convention in 2004, he said.

Betts said his focus will be on universal health care for children, the environment, the economy and the war -- issues where he contrasts with Tiahrt, he said.

Workers need a "living wage" to keep up with escalating costs, he said. Human activity is responsible for global warming; he opposes the planned coal-fired power plants in Western Kansas.

Betts said he favors tax breaks for the working poor and senior citizens. Troops should be returned from Iraq.

During the interview, Betts made several references to his Christian faith, In discussing China and trade, Betts said, "if we're really going to love our neighbor, as the Word teaches us -- and we are a Christian nation -- we have to look at human rights."

Tiahrt's communications director, Sam Sackett, said today the congressman also wanted our troops to come home "as soon as possible, but also wanted us to leave Iraq in stable condition."

His opponent voted to uphold President Bush's veto of a bill expanding SCHIP, the state/federal children's health insurance program, Betts complained. He said SCHIP should be fully funded.

Asked to comment on Tiahrt's relationship with Bush, Betts said only that he, Tiahrt, had a 97 percent voting record with the president. "That's (a) pretty close (relationship)," Betts said.

Sackett responded, "The congressman does not base his votes on what the president does or does not advocate."

Tiahrt probably did not have anything to do with the Air Force decision to give the $33 billion tanker contract to Airbus rather than Boeing, Betts said, but the Republican serves on the powerful Appropriations Committee and

should be able to use some of that power to get the decision reversed.

In an interview, Betts described his part in getting bills passed to require the Kansas public employees pension fund to divest from firms doing business in Sudan, where the Darfur genocide is taking place, and to prohibit racial profiling statewide.

Betts said if elected to Congress he would consider working for more federal involvement in what he called economic development to keep jobs from going overseas. Tax incentives and, perhaps, bonds, could be used, Betts said.

Betts said his views on race are in line with Obama's. He's respectful of the past, but he doesn't harbor resentment about racial injustice, he said.

"We didn't see the water hoses or the anger," Betts said. "We have to look past it. We're Americans. As the times change, we can get along."

Obama's speech on race last month got people talking more frankly than before, he said.

"It's a feel-good debate," he said. "People are finally getting it out. Like therapy."

That evening, Betts said he had a fundraiser in Wichita with Dan Glickman, the last Democrat to represent the 4th District.

"If people want change, they'll elect change," he said earlier. "Do you want somebody who is going to work with the next president, or fight with the next president?"

Below: Sen. Donald Betts made a stop in Winfield as he gears up his campaign for Congress.