Name and office sought David Haley, State Senate (4th District)
Age 60
Occupation and experience Lawyer. Real Property Developer / Investor. State Senator (2000-Present). State Representative (1995-2000). Precinct Committeeman (1984-Present).
Education
Juris Doctorate (Howard University Law; Washington, D.C.). Bachelor of Arts (Morehouse College; Atlanta, Georgia). Diploma (Good Counsel High School; Wheaton, Maryland).
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong
Parkwood Colony of the Concern; NAACP; Polish American Club; St. Peter & FAME Churches; Wyandotte County Democratic Central Committee; other auxillary.
Reasons for running
Redistricting.
(Post 2020 US Census, retention of Wyandotte County’s state legislative districts and as component to our current or potentially new U.S. congressional district is a paramount value to me and our community. Partisanship, from both parties actually, could divide and subsequently weaken the compactness and strength of some already much underrepresented)
Restorative justice.
..as well as issues in the next question…
What are the three most important issues facing this district and how would you handle them?
1) Medicaid expansion.
2) State and/or UG economic development support (“Destination-Attraction” support; like Village West continues to uniquely receive.)
3) BPU / UG’s interchangeably discriminatory high fees / taxes.
If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?
As modestly as possible, after decades in office, my “top” accomplishments are numerous and subject to debate. Some would say, it’s advocacy for criminal justice reform: such as establishing benchmarks for suspect identification from eyewitnesses or passing auto expungement for those mistakenly arrested or passing major compensation for those wrongfully convicted and incarcerated. Others might say, it was my creation of felony for extreme cruelty to animals or demanding body cameras for all active law enforcement officers or continuing to push back against civil asset forfeiture or my solo advocacy in Kansas for marijuana legalization/taxation/regulation. Then there is the creation of a task force to utilize DNA for “cold cases” or attempting to lift expensive unproductive ignition interlock on 1st time DUI offenders or reducing the 250′ boundary for polling place “electioneering” or the 1500′ residency boundary for former SVP or again solo advocacy to release non-violent offenders with 6 months or less from prison when testing negative for COVID-19.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
Please see “Occupation and Experience” (above). In addition, I’ve been honored to have been elected to advance to a General election at the local level (twice) : UG Mayor / CEO (1997) and Board of Public Utilities At-Large (2019) and at the statewide level (twice) : KS Secretary of State (Democratic nominee) 2002 and 2006.