This KCK district is home to key projects. Three candidates want to represent it in Topeka
Two candidates will face off in the Aug. 4 primary election that will determine which Democrat will have a chance at competing to represent an economic powerhouse in western Wyandotte County.
Whichever Democrat wins that race, whether it be Emily Blanks or Romona C. Smith, will compete with incumbent Republican Carolyn Caiharr for a shot at representing that area at the state level.
Southwest Wyandotte County — which reaches into Kansas City, Kansas, Bonner Springs and Edwardsville — is home to major incoming and existing projects, like the Kansas Speedway, the Legends outlet mall and Destination KCK, a Barbie and Hot Wheels themed amusement park, and several others.
The person who represents this district would be tasked with helping local and state leadership make key decisions regarding economic development in a growing portion of the county. It’s also an increasingly residential area with neighbors to keep in mind as well.
So, why do these candidates want that responsibility? And, what issues do they consider most pressing in their districts?
On the campaign trail, candidates have expressed that they want to get to Topeka so they can advocate to support local businesses, expand access to health care, reduce residents’ tax burdens and fully fund public education.
Emily Blanks
Blanks is a member of the Bonner Springs City Council and leads the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville Area Chamber of Commerce as its executive director. She is one of two Democratic candidates in the Aug. 4 primary.
If elected, Blanks would advocate for property tax relief for senior citizens by expanding relief programs through the Kansas Department of Revenue. She also believes in cutting specific sales taxes on essentials, increasing minimum wage and creating programs for first-time homeowners. “Better communication between local and state officials,” Blanks said of what needs to change. “Transparency is important. Opportunities eyed at the local level on behalf of the state need to be discussed together — no surprises.”
She also sees investing in infrastructure, particularly the State Avenue corridor and K-7, as an essential effort as the county continues to grow.
Blanks supports fully funding public education, including special education programming, and she wants to remove sales taxes on groceries and items necessary to residents’ survival.
Blanks also plans to advocate for stronger community benefits agreements as developers continue to eye Wyandotte County as a place for growth. And, she supports ways to grow the local workforce and invest in small businesses, according to Blanks’ website.
Her platform prioritizes policies focused on human rights such as pathways to citizenship, access to medical care, more affordable housing and protections for LGBTQ Kansans, according to her website. She supports patients making decisions about their own health care and legalizing marijuana in the state.
Blanks wants to see the U.S. Department of Agriculture better fund the state agriculture department and increase support for state and local farmers. “Point blank, in Topeka, I’m there to find commonality in my colleagues, meet in the middle and work on passing meaningful legislation,” she said.
Romona Smith
Smith, originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana, has lived in District 33 since 2014. She is one of two Democratic candidates in the Aug. 4 primary.
If elected, she plans to advocate for economic policy that ensures investments into Wyandotte County benefit everyone, educational policy that gives every child access to fully funded classrooms, more affordable health care and housing stability and access, according to her website.
She brings experience in the health care industry, working with some major health providers in the region, and is also a court-appointed advocate for foster children, according to her website.
Smith is concerned by the rising rates of people who are uninsured and lacking access to medical care they can afford. And she thinks the way voters’ rights are currently written make it harder for working families, senior citizens and for people from all racial and ethnic backgrounds to be heard.
Smith is a volunteer with Harvesters, collaborates with the Vernon Center’s Digital Literacy and Community Access Initiative and is a member of the Bonner Springs NAACP, according to her website.
She’s also involved with Greater Kansas City Women in Politics and the Kansas Federation of Democratic Women.
Carolyn Caiharr
Caiharr, the Edwardsville mayor who replaced outgoing Rep. Mike Thompson last year after he retired from politics to care for his wife, is running for her first full term in District 33. She is the only Republican running for the position.
On the campaign trail she’s advocating for “property tax relief, traditional family values, and fiscal responsibility in Topeka.”
Her priorities include focusing on property tax relief, neighborhood safety, strengthening public schools and to “protect healthcare funding for those most in need,” according to her website.
Caiharr jointly served as Mayor of Edwardsville and a state representative. She has served on the Wyandotte Economic Development Council’s board of directors and volunteered with the Edwardsville Historical Society and elsewhere in her community, according to her website.
