About the Election
The voters of the 12th District have decided. I congratulate Sen. Pat Apple on his re-election win. As I mentioned when I first filed for the Democratic nomination, I said I thought he was a conscientious representative of the district and I haven?t changed my opinion.
However, there were issues I thought needed to be aired and I thought it was important that I become a candidate and talk to the voters of the 12th District about them.
I got into the race to win but I knew that I faced some overwhelming odds, including the disadvantages of being a Democrat challenging a Republican incumbent in a heavily-Republican district, being a college student and a candidate at the same, that I would be outspent 50 to 1 and that I would be fighting big-spending industries anxious to have two coal-fired plants in western Kansas.
As the statewide results showed, there was little benefit for Kansas Democrats from Barack Obama?s win.
But despite the outcome, it was something I was glad I did and I learned from the experience. I met a lot of good people in the 12th District, which I found to be the best part of my campaign; I saw a lot of pretty country and I had many bully pulpits from which to give my views.
And the democratic process only works if challengers are willing to step up and give incumbents a few anxious moments and sleepless nights. So in my own way, I hoped I ensured that the democracy of this great country worked.
As far as my immediate plans go, I?ll have to finish up on class work that got short shrift this semester.
As far as my political plans, despite the elections outcome, voters will hear from me again one way or another. After all, Barack Obama lost his first political campaign.
