In 1970, Vern Miller became the first Democrat in 80 years to win election as Kansas attorney general.

The flamboyant Miller's popularity then grew to the point where he received the majority of votes in all 105 Kansas counties while winning re-election in 1972.

This week’s History Guy video at CJOnline focuses on Miller, who turned 90 years old last month.

A native of Wichita, Miller became a deputy in 1949 with the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office, according to the Kansas State Historical Society.

He was elected Sedgwick County marshal in 1958 and served two terms, during which he operated the Vern Miller Boxing Club at a Boys Club where he trained with the boxers and refereed matches.

Miller was elected Sedgwick County sheriff in 1964. His gung-ho attitude and willingness to put himself in dangerous situations earned him the nickname "Super Sheriff."

While serving as sheriff, Miller finished work on a law degree he had earned by commuting back and forth from Oklahoma City University Law School.

Though he had never before tried a case, Miller ran as a Democrat in 1970 for attorney general of Kansas, an office no Democrat had won since 1890. He promised to aggressively enforce drug and liquor laws, including pledging to "jump feet-first into the drug-ridden hippie communes of Lawrence."

Miller won election and followed up on that promise. He became known for popping out of car trunks during drug busts, which he did at least twice as attorney general.

At one point, Miller teamed up with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to bring about the arrests of people serving alcohol on a train passing through Kansas in violation of state laws banning the sale in public places of liquor by the drink. Airlines consequently took to telling passengers they couldn't serve liquor by the drink while flying over Kansas.

Miller ran for governor in 1974 but narrowly lost to Republican Robert Bennett. He then returned to Sedgwick County, where he served four years as district attorney before going into private practice.