Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) decided to take early retirement at age 83 as the GOP had a replacement in mind, but that choice blew up.
Much like Republicans across the country, many Kansans have given up on the party of Trump. State Senator Barbara Bollier switched to the Democratic party. Now, Bollier has launched her campaign to become the first female Kansas Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate in recent memory. She will be running on Washington’s dysfunction.
Bollier remarked she would head into D.C. with her “common-sense solutions” should she win in 2020:
‘I’m doing it to be a voice of reason … Washington is broken right now. It is a mess and I think Kansans deserve a senator who will put politics aside, and I’m all about common ground and common-sense solutions.’
One of the most populous counties in Kansas elected a gay, Native American, military brat, mixed martial arts fighter as their U.S. representative. She was perfect for this pioneer-spirit state. Bollier lives in Johnson County, too.
She will be facing Donald Trump’s ill-fated voting-corruption zealot and former Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach among others. The candidate changed parties after knocking heads with the Republican leadership. Then, she endorsed Kansas’ Governor Laura Kelly who won handily.
Republicans wanted Kansas native former CIA director and current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, but he had his sights on a higher office. Hanging around Donald Trump has not been good for his prospects, though. The president has had a way of dragging down everyone around him. The aptly-named book Everything Donald Trump Touches Dies said it all.
Another reason Bollier changed parties was Trump. She said:
‘[H]e is our president, but he is not representing my value system remotely.’
Bollier, 61, has not decided on impeachment, but she did support the inquiry:
‘If we’re doing something like this, we should do it in a non-partisan way. No one is above the law.’
As a retired physician, she supports Medicare with a public option. If people like their insurance, they should keep it:
‘I am not supportive of Medicare For All mandates. That is not the way to go. I support maintaining Medicare and finding a path to have a public option that people can buy into.’
Democratic Senate candidate Barry Grissom decided to halt his campaign for the open seat. His website said:
‘I know a drawn-out primary would be unquestionably harmful and set us all back in this fight. After long consideration, I’ve come to believe the most important thing I can do to help us win this race is to step aside.’
The Mueller Report Adventures: In Bite-Sizes on this Facebook page. These quick, two-minute reads interpret the report in normal English for busy people. Mueller Bite-Sizes uncovers what is essentially a compelling spy mystery. Interestingly enough, Mueller Bite-Sizes can be read in any order.
