'Twas the Night before Election
At long last, the obnoxiousness of the 2024 campaign in ending
I’ll be as brief as I can here. It’s hard to be a long form writer in a sound bite world - but I’ll do my best.
First - Please Go Vote!
The last day to vote is Election Day - Tuesday, Nov. 5. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. In Hutchinson, most of you will vote at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, but you can double check here.
Do Not Assume that I have this election in the bag. I need every one of you to vote. I’ve won by some very thin margins before - and every election is decided by the people who show up to the polls. Every year, I hear people say “Oh, you got this.” And while that’s a nice thought, it’s not the truth. I don’t win elections unless you vote for me. Period.
Second - Come watch the election results come in with me!
We’ll be at Sandhills Brewing starting at 5 p.m. We’ll have Burgers and Brats on the grill, and we’ll have cans of our signature “Prost for Probst” campaign beer available for our supporters. I’d love it if you could swing by and say hi and wish me luck. I’ll be super nervous all day, and it’ll be comforting to be surrounded by all of your love.
I’ll make one more appeal to voters here about the choices in this election, and what’s at stake.
From Day 1, my opponent has lied about his intentions and his residency. He signed a short term lease that expires shortly after election day. He claimed to live here, yet when he had to talk to police for his involvement in some sketchy videos, he listed his home address as Newton.
You can read my original post on this, which has links to some of the very good reporting around this 🙄Conservative candidate who shares your values and is going to protect you and stand up for you. 🙄 The only thing we need protected from are people like my opponent and his rich and spoiled frat-boy buddies.
Kyler Sweely was brought to Hutchinson to do the bidding of his handlers, and the Dark Money groups that financed his campaign. His job was to campaign - and no one has answered how that was financed, or how he afforded to maintain two residences without working like the rest of us.
That graphic is from the Hutchinson Tribune, and it’s telling. But it doesn’t tell the whole story - because we won’t see the full accounting until January 2025, and some of these groups will be able to skirt disclosure laws and have spent money without having to account for all of it.
I’ve asked voters to question why these big groups would spend so much money trying to knock me out. It’s not because they care about you or your family, I can tell you that. It’s because they want to grow their wealth and power - and they were willing to insult and exploit our community to get it.
Also, his entire campaign was built on tearing me down. He never talked about his ideas, his values, or what his vision was for our community. I would argue he didn’t have any because his commitment was never to Hutchinson - it was always to Topeka leadership, and to wealthy corporations that propped up his campaign.
And never forgot this….
I’ve spend nearly all my adult life in Hutchinson. I’ve been committed to this community long before I was an elected representative. And I’ve worked to build a stronger and better community for my friends and family. I always have, and I always will, put Hutchinson first. I serve this community, not leadership in Topeka, not wealthy corporations, not any political party.
I work for Kansas. For Hutchinson. For You.
I’d appreciate your vote on Nov. 5.
