ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
There could be some new Kansas representation in the U.S. Senate after next year’s elections, and Kansan Anne Parelkar is one of the candidates seeking that office.
As Parelkar tells it, politics was not always in her plans.
“I'm an attorney licensed in Kansas, Arkansas and Missouri, and I've worked in immigration law since 2021 as a solo practitioner. I began by working around my children's schedules and taking on what I could handle, and before that, I was a stay-at-home parent,” Parelkar said. “I got into politics more officially in July and earlier this year, I'd gone to the town hall in Oakley when Roger Marshall left early, and that was a factor in my decision to run for office. I'd had a friend who had talked to me about it before, but my children were still really young, so it wasn't a good time, and I also wasn't worried about the country back then as I am now with everything that's happened. She talked to me about it again more recently, and then I called around and did some research as far as whose seat would be up for election, and it turned out to be Roger Marshall's.”
It was not too long after that conversation, Parelkar said, when she made her decision to officially run.
“What really cemented my decision was when Roger Marshall left without acknowledging how he works for the people who were in that meeting space in Oakley who were there for that town hall and ready with questions,” Parelkar said. “I took that as rather an insult not just to me, but everyone else in that room. I'd served on the Student Government Association (SGA) when I was in college, and I remember a time when we were all in a room together and everyone was talking about how some new policy was going to impact them, but no one was talking about how it would impact the people they were supposed to be representing. That was definitely a learning experience and when Roger Marshall did what he did, I remember thinking afterward 'You are a U.S. Congressman, and we deserve MUCH better than that!' I knew I had to do something, and as a lawyer, I thought 'Why don't I run for office?'”
And so far, Parelkar said being on the campaign trail has been an enjoyable experience.
“I have absolutely loved being able to travel around Kansas and meet everyone. I'm originally from a very small, rural town in Arkansas filled with good, salt of the Earth people working to make a living, and traveling around Kansas reminds me of when I was growing up,” Parelkar said. “I've really enjoyed talking to everyone and discussing how we're going to make Kansas – and by extension, the U.S. – what we want it to be.”
Parelkar said, she would like to see some institutional changes made should she be elected to office.
“My personal biggest concern is we need to effect some major institutional change, such as term limits and campaign finance reform. We've got to get that dark money out of our politics and out of our elections – everyone who runs for office should be able to do so without having to spend an exorbitant amount of money,” Parelkar said. “And not only that, but how much money is wasted on political campaigns that could be used for the good of the people? Another particular concern of mine is healthcare – it's very concerning to me how there are multiple healthcare deserts in Kansas, and it's only going to get worse unless some action is taken. I don't understand the justification the current members of Congress have for passing the bill they passed, it's going to negatively impact so, so many people, including their constituents.”
Some of those changes also include the educational system and overall affordability.
“I have two elementary school-aged children, and I was speaking to a former school administrator recently about how we can come up with ways to really improve the educational system for schoolchildren,” Parelkar said. “I also want to see people be able to afford to live again, because it's gotten to the point where there's basically no hope for the younger generation in terms of home ownership and needing only one job to make ends meet. If someone works a 40-hour week, they deserve to have their basic needs met while also indulging in the occasional luxury. And across all industries, we need to update and enforce the anti-trust laws on the books and break up the corporations and monopolies – we've done it before, so we can do it again. However, for some reason, the language being used when trying to discuss these issues is really controversial, and I feel like if we sat down and really discussed things, we'd end up agreeing way more than we'd be disagreeing about what needs to be done. The current division in the U.S. also has me really concerned, and I'm tired of the political football game going on where the U.S. people are used as pawns and are essentially being treated like we don't really exist as humans.”
Parelkar said she is open to speaking with any and all Kansans about their concerns while campaigning.
“I've had people who are angry with me when they find out I'm running as a Democrat as well as people who are elated when they find out I'm running as a Democrat. However, I don't want people to like me or dislike me just because of the letter next to my name, I want them to consider me as the best person period for the job,” Parelkar said. “I remember a time when people voted for the best person for the job and the current political parties didn't have the level of control they do now, and our Founding Fathers were utterly against the two-party system for the reasons we're currently seeing in real time. It feels like a lot of politicians aren't really doing much to actually serve the people, they're just keeping problems they can run on. One example of that is with the SAVE Act and how there were multiple claims of our elections not being secure and need to be secured – absolutely no one is against having safe and secure elections, but what people are against is using the guise of 'securing elections' as a way of disenfranchising voters. To me, that's an issue that can be solved without so much extra fuss – use the SAVE Act to require a form of ID to prove citizenship, but make sure the overall onus is on the government to make sure every eligible voter can get the documents they need. And if it's cost-prohibitive for some people, that's basically another version of a poll tax, which is completely unconstitutional. And going even further, we should have equal access to the ballot box – make Election Day a federal holiday where everyone can take the day off from work, and let's not have places where you have to wait in line for multiple hours to vote. I've personally never had to wait more than 10 minutes or so when I've gone and voted, but there are multiple communities in the U.S. where circumstances are such that people are waiting for multiple hours, which is inherently inequitable.”
For Kansans with any questions or concerns, Parelkar said there are multiple ways to get in touch.
“I'm always open, and I don't have anything to hide. I welcome any question anyone has for me, but I do keep my family life private to protect them. But I'm absolutely open to having any conversations that are productive, no matter what side of the political aisle a person falls on,” Parelkar said. “We're all U.S. citizens first, and that's what should matter the most. I want to hear different perspectives and ideas, because there's no way I can work for you unless I'm willing and able to listen to everyone possible. Anyone with any questions or concerns is more than welcome to get in touch with me, and they can do so through my Web site, https://www.anneparelkar.com/ or through my social media pages. I want to hear from as many people as possible, and I will make sure to make myself as accessible as possible so my constituents can contact me with any questions or concerns and hold me accountable.”
Overall, Parelkar said, she hopes for a successful campaign.
“I decided to run for office because I'm worried about the U.S. I'm not running for office because I want to make a career change, I don't need to do that,” Parelkar said. “I'm also not running because I need the salary and other benefits. I'm running for the U.S. Senate because I'm worried about the direction this country is going, and I want the U.S. to go back to how it was when I was growing up, and I want that for EVERYONE. Whether you vote for me or not, whoever you select, make sure they're going to work for YOU – not a corporation, not the national party, not the president – but for the people as a whole. And if I am elected, I want people to hold me accountable and let me know if I do something they're not entirely a fan of. The people of Kansas, and the U.S. as a whole, deserve hard work and goodness from their elected officials, and that's definitely not the case right now, in my opinion. I want to serve the people, not the other way around.”
