What to expect when you're expecting....
To be one of Topeka's Top Political Targets in the 2024 General Election
Usually, it’s a nice thing to be wanted.
But it’s not so nice when the people doing the wanting are wanting you to be gone, to go away, and to be replaced with someone they think will be more compliant, and who they’ll like much better
This year it looks like I’ll be the top attack target for leadership in Topeka - who are anxiously looking at the possibility that they might not be able to keep the iron-clad grip on Kansas government they’ve had nearly forever.
There’s such an effort to take our community, they even shipped in someone at the last possible minute, propped up a “residence,” and undercut the efforts of a locally supported candidate in the primary election.
That’s going to mean campaign season will likely look quite a bit different this year. So I thought I’d help the voters of the 102nd District know what to expect as we go into the 2024 election.
The “other” guy is probably going to talk about a lot of things that are not real issues in the Kansas legislature. If the mail that came out during the Primary Election is any indication, his central issues will be “closing the border, and fighting China - which is problematic for a number of reasons. The truth is these issues are largely inflamed political talking points designed to create fear and division. Members of the Kansas Legislature have no ability to do anything at the southern border. They also have no influence over global politics or international espionage. Moreover, I don’t really think it’s right to put the burden of the world on Kansas taxpayers. We have enough of our problems to worry about.
There’s going to be mail. And social media ads. Lots of it. Some will come from me, and some will come from my opponents. My pieces will do what I’ve done before - talk about my connection and investment in our community, and the work I’ve done in Topeka. I expect my opponent’s mail will come from various sources and will do its level best to paint me as some sort of Villain who goes out of his way to make children cry, kick puppies, and makes otherwise unwise decisions. I imagine they’ll cherry pick some votes and leave out all the context about what those votes mean, what they were packaged with, and how they came up for a vote in the first place. I have always shared a lot of information with the voters of the 102nd District. If you have questions, feel free to ask.
A sampling of last election’s mailers against me. I expect this year’s will have better production value and look somewhat “richer” Big money is going to play. Hard. Groups like the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and some outfit called the Flint Hills Opportunity Institute played heavily in the Primary Election. People like my opponent can win without doing much because they have deep pockets financing their efforts. That’s certainly what helped carry him over the local candidate in the Republican primary. And I’ll tell you, these really big money groups and I don’t get along so well. I have, and do, call them out on their unchecked greed and the ways in which they have harmed Kansans. When the ads start coming, I hope you’ll ask why these big corporations and their political extensions are willing to invest so much into a race - and whether they really care about you at all.
They will want to talk about national-level politics. They'll work to connect me to whomever and whatever is the Boogeyman of the day. They won’t want to talk about much local - because they don’t have any experience, presence, or understanding of our community. And they can’t talk about local issues without acknowledging that I’ve been successful in ushering through legislation that has actively helped people in our community. Moreover, I have worked to help individuals when they encounter struggles with state government. I worked in service of our community long before I earned the title of Representative.
Oh, the photos! If history is a guide, they’ll find the most unflattering photos possible of me - then use some filters to make me look like the scariest man in the world. They’ll likely Photoshop me in some absurd pose, with people I’ve never met, doing things I’d never do. So, in an effort to save time and effort - and make sure we know what is coming our way - I’ve taken some of my own unflattering photos. You’re welcome in advance!
I am human, and I’ve made mistakes. Plenty of them. I don’t go advertising them for the world to see, but I don’t pretend I’m perfect either. Anyone who talks to me much at all knows I’m well aware of the failures and errors in my life. But I can say that I care a great deal, and I try to always do the next best thing in any situation.
I think the nature of modern politics has kept a lot of good people from stepping into leadership positions, and we’ve all suffered for that, I’m afraid. The outsized influence of money has perverted our elections, and politics as a sport has turned political parties into industrialized machines. And that leads to what we’ve seen here in Hutchinson, where we have someone who, at the behest of his party leadership, is being less than forthcoming about who he is, where he calls home, why he’s running, and his commitment to our community.
I have always been here, and I’m running to again represent the 102nd District because I love Hutchinson and I believe our community deserves a leader in Topeka who understands our town, stands up for our interests, and puts our community above partisan politics. I am present, engaged, and invested here, and that helps me hear my constituents’ concerns and turn them into action.
In the coming weeks and months, I’ll be working to remind voters of my history in our community, the successes I’ve had in representing Hutchinson in Topeka, and what is at stake this election. And I will want to hear your ideas and thoughts on the ways we can work together to make our community, and our state, stronger and better.
