Incumbent U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., left, faces a challenge from Amanda Adkins, right, Republican nominee. (Candidate photos)
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Opinion column
by Murrel Bland
The two candidates for U.S. Representative, Third District in Kansas, attended separate forums via Zoom sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, Area Chamber of Commerce.
The challenger, Republican Amanda Adkins appeared Thursday, Oct. 15; the incumbent, Democrat Sharice Davids, appeared Friday, Oct. 16, the usual time for the monthly meeting of the Congressional Forum. The chamber sponsors the Congressional Forum. The chamber had hoped that the two could come together for a debate.
Stephen Duerst, a lobbyist for the chamber, asked questions of the candidates. It was obvious that the candidates have political differences based on the responses to Duerst’s questions and other recent interviews.
Adkins wants the Affordable Care Act repealed, but favors saving the provision that allows keeping the pre-existing condition coverage. Rep. Davids favors Medicaid expansion; she has introduced legislation that would help people avoid large out-of-network costs.
Adkins favors well-funded police departments; Rep. Davids favors a ban on no-knock warrants and choke-holds. Adkins favors making the 2017 tax cuts permanent; Rep. Davids said the tax cuts favored the wealthiest and special interests.
Political ads that support Adkins tie Rep. Davids to the very liberal wing of the Democratic party including U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, who is the speaker of the House. Political ads favoring Rep. Davids tie Adkins to the “failed administration” of former Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican.
Both candidates said they agree on one thing—they both favor the Kansas City Chiefs winning the 2021 Super Bowl.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.
Diana Whittington Republican candidate for the Kansas Senate, District 6
Age
63
Occupation and experience
Currently I am a visual arts teacher at Washington High School. I have taught for 41 years as a public and private school teacher, grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, General Education and Visual Arts.
Education
BSE from Emporia State University 30+ additional graduate hours from KU, Avila, UMKC, K-State, the Kansas City Art Institute and Emporia State University
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong
Christian Educators Association International SPCC Board Member SPCC Worship Team The Moose Lodge No. 1999 The Well-Armed Woman WYCO Women’s GOP The NRA Lifetime PTA member Diana’s Paint Party
Reasons for running
I am running for office to provide a choice for the citizens of Wyandotte County. I want to provide a candidate for those who value the sanctity of human life from womb to tomb.
What are the three most important issues facing this district?
We need to get people back to work safely, so that they can provide for themselves and their families. We need to provide the best educational options for the families in our district. We need to encourage and promote new businesses in our district to provide jobs and opportunities and ultimately lower our taxes.
If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?
I will be active in the communities of Rosedale, Argentine, Armourdale, Turner, Muncie, Stony Point, and Edwardsville, listening to concerns and acting on the needs that are brought to my attention. I would vote for the Value Them Both Amendment to the Kansas Constitution to allow the Kansas citizens the opportunity to exercise their right to vote on the important issue of abortion.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
No, except for being selected to represent my community at Girls State, held on the KU campus the summer of my junior year of high school. Everyone was required to run for an office.
Mark Gilstrap, a former state senator, is a Republican candidate for state representative in the 36th District.
The seat is held by Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, a Democrat who has filed for re-election.
Gilstrap is retired after 33 years service in the finance department of the Unified Government.
“In retiring from the Unified Government, I value the KPERS public retirement system and will not allow it to be used for any legislators’ or governor’s wish list,” Gilstrap stated in a news release.
Gilstrap has a Bachelor of Science in business administration degree from Rockhurst College and is a 1970 graduate of Bishop Ward High School.
Rep. Wolfe Moore has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Kansas, and is a 1975 graduate of Bishop Ward High School.
At a candidate forum on Oct. 7 sponsored by Business West and Kansas City Kansas Community College, Rep. Wolfe Moore said she has served as state representative for 10 years and it has been an honor to represent the 36th District. She has worked as community liaison for 15 years for the University of Kansas Medical Center, and 10 years prior to that as chief of staff for former Mayor Carol Marinovich.
Gilstrap also has run for the 5th District, state Senate, and for the Unified Government Commission, 1st District at large.
Gilstrap, who wasn’t at the candidate forum, said in a news release that he shares the views of the majority of his constituents on social issues.
“We must allow the people to have a voice on abortion laws through their legislators,” he stated. “The courts must not override the will of the people.”
From 1997 through 2008, Gilstrap played a role in helping legislation pass to allow the Kansas Speedway and Legends development. In those years, he was a Democrat.
Rep. Wolfe Moore is a former chief of staff to former Mayor Marinovich, who is largely credited with bringing Kansas Speedway and Legends development to the area. Rep. Wolfe Moore also is a former chair of the board for the Wyandotte Economic Development Council, a nonprofit economic development corporation.
“I was privileged to cast the deciding vote to allow Wyandotte County voters to be able to vote for a casino,” Gilstrap stated in the news release.
“Voters of the 36th House district will have a clear choice in November, and I think they will choose someone who has a strong record of bringing in millions of dollars of revenue and thousands of jobs into our community,” he said.
Rep. Wolfe Moore is on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Legislative Budget Committee, where she is ranking minority member of both. She is also on the House Taxation Committee, and was on the special 2019 committee to expand Medicaid.
While Rep. Wolfe Moore said she enjoys serving in the Legislature, it has become more partisan through the years. Last year, she joined with Rep. Steven Johnson, a Republican, to introduce a training program on civil discourse for legislators, she said during the candidate forum.
The point of the program was to allow legislators to get to know each other personally, establish friendships, which makes a difference. Instead of talking at each other, they’re talking to each other, which is the first step toward compromise and getting better legislation, she said.
One of her biggest interests has been mental health and getting expanded services for people who deal with mental health issues, she said. This year, Rep. Wolfe Moore received the Legislative Mental Health Champion Award for 2020 from the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas for her passion for improving mental health policy in the state of Kansas.
Rep. Wolfe Moore also serves on the state SPARKS task force, which has decided where the federal CARES Act funding will be allocated in Kansas.
She supports Medicaid expansion, and said at the candidate forum that it would have been wonderful to have it during the pandemic, as many people who lost their jobs and then lost their health insurance might qualify for Medicaid expansion, and at least would have had health care while trying to get through the pandemic the best they can.
