Name and office sought
Kathy Wolfe Moore, Kansas House of Representatives, District 36
Age
63
Occupation and experience
University of Kansas Health System, Community Liaison 2005-present
Chief of Staff, Mayor Carol Marinovich, 1995-2005
Education
Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work, University of Kansas
Organizations, clubs, groups to which you belong
Healthy Communities Wyandotte policy committee
NAACP
Reasons for running
I have lived my entire life in Wyandotte County and have been in public service for 20 years. I am a passionate advocate for our community and will continue to use my experience and skills to improve the lives of Wyandotte County residents and give them a voice in Topeka.
What are the three most important issues facing this district and how would you handle them?
We need to continue our strong response to the COVID crisis. I believe that we should listen to the experts and proceed in a way that protects the health of our residents while rebuilding our economy. We need to get control of the virus through better testing and contract tracing and provide more PPE for frontline workers so that we can fully reopen our economy and get Kansans back to work.
Wyandotte County currently has one of the lowest health rankings in the state. We need to expand Medicaid so that more people have access to healthcare.
We need to lower the food sales tax so Wyandotte County residents have better access to healthy meals for their families. Working families pay enough as it is. They shouldn’t need to worry about paying one of the highest food sales taxes in the country.
If you are an incumbent, list your top accomplishments in office. If you are not an incumbent, what would you change if elected?
I have received a national award for my work with mental health issues and have also been recognized twice as Public Official of the Year by the Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansans and recently received their Legislative Champion for Community Mental Health award. I received an award from KU Cancer Center for legislation that I helped pass, including expanding funding for cancer research and treatment. I led the effort to pass legislation to keep guns out of public hospitals, community mental health centers and state psychiatric hospitals. I received a Distinguished Service Award from Friends of Yates for my work on behalf of victims of domestic violence. In 2018, I was inducted into the Kansas Children’s Service League Hall of Fame.
Have you run for elected office previously? When, results?
I have held this office for the past 10 years. This is the only elected office that I have held.