ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Citizens of the Big First District had the chance to hear from all three candidates during a special forum Monday evening at Fort Hays State University.
The forum began with the candidates’ opening remarks.
“Thank you, first of all, for the invitation, because Libertarians don’t typically get invited to events like this, so it’s much appreciated,” candidate Steven Jacob said. “I’m a taxpayer and retiree, I’m struggling in this economy, and I am running because the national debt is our greatest national security threat, and I’ve seen neither of the other parties really do anything about it or make things better. The Libertarian Party was founded in 1971 to protest Richard Nixon getting the country off of the gold standard because it was going to create endless amounts of debt, and here we are. The COVID-19 pandemic definitely made things worse. Republicans and Democrats need to work together to get the national deficit back on track. We cannot continue to spend money like we are, and I think I’m the person to help that along.”
“It’s been an honor, a privilege and a big responsibility for the past nearly six years to represent Kansas in Washington DC,” candidate Tracey Mann said. “I grew up on the family’s farm in Quinter, and I’m a fifth-generation Kansan. When you grow up in Quinter, Hays is basically the big city, and it’s great to be in this area. When there are forum events like this, it’s good to remember there are parts of the world where they don’t happen, like China and Iran and countries like that. It’s amazing to be in this free country and while there will be some disagreement when it comes to policy, we’re all Americans and I believe everyone here wants to move the country forward. I’ve been very clear since I first ran for Congress how I believe the job of the representative of the Big First District is to advocate for agriculture and Kansas’ conservative values. That is the lens through which I view everything in my work in Washington DC, every vote I cast, every piece of legislation, etc. There are 60 counties in this district, and I make it to almost every county every year at least once because I do like to get out and hear directly from people. If you listen to Kansans, they’ll tell you what they think, and I’m hearing a lot of people wanting to see Washington DC spend less money, fewer regulations, more support for agriculture, defending our freedoms, standing up for the rural communities, and make it easier for working-class families to get ahead. My focus is about taking Kansas values to Washington DC, and we all know Washington DC needs more Kansas common sense.”
“I’m a lawyer, a single mother of 29 years, and until last year, I was a proud public servant of the federal government for 16 years,” candidate Lauren Reinhold said. “I’m running in this race because I believe in the American Dream and to me, the American Dream is where all Kansans have a job or retirement income that pays all the bills with money left over for the future. A lot of us are far, far from that right now. I’m running because our current congressman voted for increased healthcare costs, decreased support for families who are already struggling to make ends meet. I’m also running because our current congressman supports corporate interests and prosperity for the few. In 2024, during the presidential election, we were all lied to – we were told there would be decreased prices, increased wages, no endless wars and the deportation of only criminals. Instead, we’ve faced nothing but inflation, tariffs, an oil crisis being caused by a needless war, an affordability crisis that’s not getting any better, unstable foreign policy that’s quite frankly dangerous, and we’re seeing our neighbors and fellow workers being deported. Our current congressman is standing by and letting this happen instead of standing up to this administration against the policies that are hurting Kansans. I’m running this race because I will stand up for all Kansas families.”
