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Coleman says he’s back in the 37th District race

Aaron Coleman, 19, who on Sunday announced he was withdrawing from the contest for the 37th District, today said he’s back in the race.

Coleman won the Democratic nomination for the 37th District, House of Representatives, over veteran lawmaker Rep. Stan Frownfelter.

There is no candidate opposing Coleman on the general election ballot; however, Rep. Frownfelter, a Democrat, and a Republican opponent, Kristina Smith, have said they would run as write-in candidates in November.

Coleman, a college student who is a dishwasher, was ahead by one vote on election night, and then won the primary election by 14 votes at the canvass. He said on Sunday he was planning to submit a letter withdrawing from the race because of family medical hardship.

If he dropped out, Democratic precinct committee members would have selected a replacement on the November ballot.

During the primary campaign, last-minute negative information came out about Coleman that alleged he had engaged in revenge porn more than five years ago as a middle school student, which he admitted, plus other allegations involving bullying. Although Coleman said he has changed, some of the Democratic establishment distanced themselves from him, and there were some calls for him to resign.

Today, Coleman sent out an email that he was changing his mind and staying in the race. He stated he had heard from many people who voted for him, who urged him not to drop out. “They said that they did not vote for me expecting that I was a perfect person,” he wrote.

He said today that he had dropped out Sunday to try to focus on his family. What he realized is he would be putting the interest of himself and family above the interest of the community, he said.

Within a couple hours after he announced his withdrawal on Sunday, his phone and text messages started to blow up with people who had helped in his campaign, who said he can’t do this, he said.

“They told me about their struggle to pay rent and put food on the table,” Coleman said.

“I did some soul-searching,” he said. “Had I taken my name off the ballot, Stan Frownfelter would have been renominated.”

He said he reached that conclusion after some conversations with precinct committee members.

Coleman wrote in his email, “I won because voters decided that the policies I believe in – providing universal health care coverage through Medicare for All, stopping evictions and investing in public housing, taking action against polluters and funding a Green New Deal to create jobs, and fixing the broken school system that failed me – would improve their lives.”

As for the November election, Coleman said, “I’m going to run like I’m scared, like I’m 10 points down.”

He said he is planning to go door-to-door in the district again.

“If you don’t talk with everybody, when you go to Topeka, you can’t represent everybody because you haven’t spoken with everybody,” he said.

Teen candidate says he’ll withdraw from 37th District race

by Mary Rupert

Aaron Coleman, 19, the Democratic nominee for state representative, 37th District, said on Sunday that he will withdraw from the election.

Coleman said in an interview on Sunday that he was withdrawing because his father is ill and has been hospitalized for the past 10 days. He said he is planning to submit a letter by Sept. 1 to the Kansas secretary of state withdrawing from the contest because of medical hardship.

“For me and my family, I have no choice but to use medical hardship to take my name off the ballot and allow the Democratic precinct people to choose the next nominee,” Coleman said.

He said this past year has been very hard on his family; he lost his brother about a year and a week ago.

Coleman upset veteran legislator, Rep. Stan Frownfelter, in the Democratic primary for the 37th District on Aug. 4, ahead by one vote on election night and then ahead by 14 votes after the voter canvass on Monday, Aug. 17. Frownfelter said last week he will run as a write-in candidate. Also announced as a write-in candidate was Republican Kristina Smith.

Last-minute allegations surfaced during the primary campaign that Coleman had engaged in revenge porn more than five years ago when he was in middle school. Coleman confirmed it to reporters, and said he had changed since then.

Coleman’s story took on a life of its own, and the news of his election circulated internationally. His candidacy was widely commented upon on social media, and some government officials in his party commented that he wasn’t fit for office.

“I was not expecting this kind of attention,” Coleman said Sunday. “My goal was to serve my community, and it was just too much for me.”

Shortly after he was elected, Coleman said he was surprised and hadn’t expected to win.

Coleman said he had talked with Democratic Party leaders during the past two or three weeks who made it clear the only way it would all go away was if he made the right decision and just got off the ballot.

He also has received threats from others during the campaign, he said.

“Over the course of the campaign I have received many threats,” Coleman said. People had told him to kill himself or said that people will help him do it, he said.

“This is too much for a 19-year-old,” Coleman said.

He said he was glad to step back from politics over the next several months and focus on his family.

Coleman said he is planning to go back to college next week, taking online courses. His goal remains to try to get into the Air Force Reserve Officers Training Program after he gets his associate degree, and to go into the military service as a career, he said.

“I’ve learned that I need to be more gracious and more humble,” he said. “I’ve learned people don’t change overnight; people don’t change just in five years. I have to continuously work on myself and work on the person I want to be.”

Coleman earlier said he won election because he went door-to-door in the 37th District, listening to voters’ concerns. His experience with that taught him that he doesn’t have to be the most intelligent or richest person to win, but just put time and energy into it, he said.

Coleman said it’s his opinion that Rep. Frownfelter had the wrong values for the district. Coleman is a progressive who favors pro-choice and pro-environment issues.

“I’m hopeful the precinct people will make the right decision and choose somebody who represents the Democratic primary voters,” he said.

Coleman sent out an email earlier on Sunday:

“Leaving the race

“After talking it over with my family and my supporters I have made the difficult decision to withdraw my name from the ballot as the Democratic nominee for House District 37. My father was recently hospitalized and in combination with the recent developments in the race it has put a significant strain on my family. Their wellbeing is too important to me to continue as the nominee.

“Rather than waiting, I’m doing this now so that the Democratic Party can find a suitable replacement. Stan Frownfelter does not fight for the values of House District 37. The voters already rejected him once. Now the Democratic Party can choose someone better as their nominee.

“It was an honor to be chosen as the Democratic Party’s nominee and I am deeply grateful to everyone who supported my campaign. We proved that Kansas Democrats are progressive Democrats and change is possible when you fight for it. Thank you for being a part of that fight.”

House passes $25 billion bill to stop cuts to Postal Service

The U.S. House of Representatives today voted 257 to 150 to pass a $25 billion bill that would stop cuts to the U.S. Postal Service.

The bill prohibits the Postal Service from implementing any changes to the operations or service levels in effect on Jan. 1, 2020; requires the Postal Service to treat all election mail as first-class mail; and provides $25 billion in emergency funding to the Postal Service. The bill next goes to the Senate for approval.

Critics alleged that the changes being implemented, such as removing processing machines, cutting overtime and eliminating some postal boxes, was slowing down the mail before the fall elections.

Voting for House Resolution 2015 was U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., who said in a statement, . “This administration’s attacks on our Postal Service for their own personal and political gain are beyond unacceptable – and today I joined my House colleagues to ensure that we support the Postal Service and the countless people in this country who depend on it.”

Rep. Davids’ opponent in the general election, Republican Amanda Adkins, said in a statement: “Sharice Davids and House Democrats are pushing a bill that spends $25 billion the Postal Service doesn’t need, operationally ties its hands, and opens it up to frivolous litigation that detracts from its mission. Instead of foisting billions more in debt on future generations to address a fabricated crisis, we should focus on addressing the real issues facing Kansas City families.”

U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, R-1st Dist., who is running for the U.S. Senate, voted against the bill. His statement: “As a leading Republican supporter of the U.S. Postal Service, I cannot support this bill designed to achieve political objectives rather than save and strengthen this service which is so essential to Kansans. “This bill would double down on the failed status quo by aimlessly throwing $25 billion at a broken system and arbitrarily hamper the USPS’s ability to make badly needed operational reforms.”

Barbara Bollier, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, stated: “The USPS deserves our support during this public health crisis and I’m disappointed that my opponent will be voting against a bipartisan bill to provide emergency funding for the Postal Service. Once again, he has put partisan politics before the needs of Kansas families,” Dr. Bollier said. “This isn’t a hypothetical issue — I’ve heard personally from Kansans about delays in receiving their medications and the removal of sorting machines. I’m very disappointed by my opponent’s unwillingness to provide additional relief to the people who need it the most during this public health crisis.”

More from the statements from each candidate:

From Rep. Sharice Davids:

“Kansans are relying on the United States Postal Service more than ever right now – from seniors and veterans who count on it for lifesaving medications to our small business owners who need to ship their products. It also employs over half a million Americans, many of them veterans like my mom who has been a postal worker in Kansas City for nearly 20 years. This administration’s attacks on our Postal Service for their own personal and political gain are beyond unacceptable – and today I joined my House colleagues to ensure that we support the Postal Service and the countless people in this country who depend on it. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to take up this vital piece of legislation right away,” Rep. Davids said.

Postmaster DeJoy implemented several changes at the USPS that have caused long mail delivery delays. That includes the removal of nearly 700 mail sorting machines which DeJoy has said he will not bring back, and curtailing overtime work that helps ensure all mail is delivered on time. And while pandemic has dramatically weakened USPS finances, the president has said that he’s blocking USPS funding to make it harder for people to vote.

“While I was glad to vote on this critical bill to support the Postal Service, I am disappointed that congressional leaders did not use the House coming back into session as an opportunity to vote on new legislation to deal with the ongoing health and economic crisis. Kansans are rightly demanding action on both fronts, and I’ll keep pushing for that,” Rep. Davids said.

From Amanda Adkins:

“Sharice Davids and House Democrats are pushing a bill that spends $25 billion the Postal Service doesn’t need, operationally ties its hands, and opens it up to frivolous litigation that detracts from its mission. Instead of foisting billions more in debt on future generations to address a fabricated crisis, we should focus on addressing the real issues facing Kansas City families.

“We all have an interest in ensuring Americans can securely vote by mail and benefit from timely, efficient mail service. Democrats have manufactured a crisis where none exists, attacking routine operational adjustments. In fact, under the Obama administration, the Postal Service relocated 14,000 mailboxes.

“The Postal Service has affirmed its ability to efficiently deliver election mail in a timely manner. H.R. 8015 does not further this goal, instead: appropriating a $25 billion bailout the Postal Service says it doesn’t need; opening up the Postal Service to frivolous, costly litigation; and preventing the Postal Service from making any operating reforms, even reforms that would benefit its ability to efficiently handle mail volume.”

From Rep. Roger Marshall:

“As a leading Republican supporter of the U.S. Postal Service, I cannot support this bill designed to achieve political objectives rather than save and strengthen this service which is so essential to Kansans,” Rep. Marshall said. “This bill would double down on the failed status quo by aimlessly throwing $25 billion at a broken system and arbitrarily hamper the USPS’s ability to make badly needed operational reforms.

“According to the USPS’ own audit, they are currently funded through August 2021, well after the election will be decided. Instead of playing partisan politics with more regard for winning a presidential election than helping Americans, we should be pursuing meaningful reforms that address the USPS’ underlying problems and focusing on COVID-19 relief legislation to help Kansans. I will continue to support and work to improve and sustain the USPS. This bill does neither.”

From Dr. Barbara Bollier:

“Dr. Barbara Bollier today criticized Congressman Roger Marshall’s announcement that he will vote against bipartisan legislation that would grant emergency funding to strengthen the United States Postal Service and block operational changes by the current postmaster general. This vote comes on the heels of significant changes being made at the USPS which slowed critical deliveries and caused widespread concern about the timeliness of mail deliveries.

“For so many Kansans, including veterans and people living in rural areas, the United States Postal Service is an essential service and a link to family, friends, and commerce,” Dr. Barbara Bollier said. “The USPS deserves our support during this public health crisis and I’m disappointed that my opponent will be voting against a bipartisan bill to provide emergency funding for the Postal Service. Once again, he has put partisan politics before the needs of Kansas families.”

“Marshall has also said that the changes being made to the USPS that have caused widely reported delays in mail delivery were not accurate and just a ‘hoax by the Democrats.’ He also stated that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy is doing a “solid job” even as Kansans are waiting for delayed deliveries of medication and other critical mail.”

“Americans depend on the postal service for the delivery of food, medicine and Social Security checks,” Dr. Bollier said. “Not only that, more than 300,000 veterans receive their life-saving medicine through the mail. This isn’t a hypothetical issue — I’ve heard personally from Kansans about delays in receiving their medications and the removal of sorting machines. I’m very disappointed by my opponent’s unwillingness to provide additional relief to the people who need it the most during this public health crisis.”

“The mission of the USPS is to provide affordable mail and delivery services for every American, no matter where they live or how remote. While it is a government agency, it is funded by revenue from deliveries, not tax dollars. It employs over half a million people, including nearly 100,000 veterans. And the Department of Veterans Affairs fills about 80 percent of its prescriptions by mail — about 120 million prescriptions per year going to 330,000 veterans.

“Marshall has said that he ‘leans no’ on additional relief for Americans struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic and instead prioritizes liability protection for big businesses.”