Democrat Britani Potter is a breath of fresh air for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District

Republican U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins has not effectively served her constituents during her four terms as a member of Congress. When asked to choose between the interests of businesses, lobbyists and generous donors or the interests of workers, consumers and other regular people, she almost always follows money.

Her opponent in the Nov. 8 election is Democrat Britani Potter, a family financial planner and an Ottawa school board member. Her political résumé may be thin, but her compelling life story promises that she would make a compassionate legislator in the nation’s capital.

Born into a poor home in Arizona, Potter became a teen mom. She moved to Kansas in 2001 to care for her ailing, widowed grandfather. She now has three children, including one with autism. She worked hard, graduated summa cum laude from Baker University and is working on her master’s degree.

As Barry Grissom, former U.S. attorney for Kansas, said at a recent event for Potter, “She won’t have to read some policy paper written by some policy wonk in northern Virginia to get her talking points. She’s lived it. That’s one of the most impressive things about this person.”

Potter is focusing on issues that matter to the people of Kansas: criminal justice reform, campaign finance reform, education and the economy. She is a moderate who has already marked positions outside of Democratic orthodoxy. She has healthy skepticism about the Affordable Care Act and believes it needs to be reformed. She also says current social assistance programs “simply throw money at those in need.” She’s opposed drastic hikes to the minimum wage.

But she is opposed to privatizing Social Security and wants to raise the earning cap on Social Security contributions. She advocates for a more progressive tax code and comprehensive immigration reform with a path to legal residency for illegal immigrants.

These are all positions that should resonate with residents of her moderate district.

Potter believes politicians from both parties should come together to work for the good of the nation rather than putting party first. Jenkins is part of the most obstructionist and least productive Republican House in history and has spent too much of her time on bills that appeal to conservative voters but had no chance of passage. She is a reliable vote for partisanship over compromise.

Potter faces a steep uphill battle. Jenkins is outraising and outspending her tremendously. But Potter would offer a refreshing change and be a genuine advocate for the people of Kansas’ 2nd District.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 3:20 PM with the headline "Democrat Britani Potter is a breath of fresh air for Kansas’ 2nd Congressional District."