Hello from Agra!

We are now just days away from Primary Election Day in Kansas and wanted to share a couple of thoughts with you.
Earlier this year, many of us participated in our respective county caucuses to pick a nominee for President of the United States and now we know who will be on the ballot in November.

There has been a lot of hand wringing and consternation that none of the choices get people excited to go to the polls. Well, I am not here to tell you who you should vote for, but rather the importance of being engaged in one of the best fundamental rights we have in this nation, the power to vote.

Primary Election Day in Kansas is where the real change can begin. You don’t like how things are going in Washington, D.C.? Start by electing good people to county offices, state school board and legislature. As former U.S. Speaker of the House, the late Tip O’Neill said, “All politics is local.”

Being a representative republic is not for the faint of heart. The easy thing to do is stay home and say, my vote doesn’t matter. If you review voter turnout, you will see it is usually less than fifty percent for general elections and even fewer show up for the primary.

So if you really want to see change, talk to the candidates on the ballot, vote either early or on election day and ask your neighbor if they need a ride to the polls. By the way, don’t forget your identification.

A quick note regarding the special session that took place in June, you may have noticed I was not there to vote on the school funding bill. I was in attendance the first day and some of the second or last day, but needed to leave for a special event. I had the privilege of being the father of the groom as our oldest son was getting married out of state. I was in contact with legislators on what was going on in Topeka and was prepared to head to the Capitol if my vote was necessary to move forward. The vote was 116-6 and schools will open as scheduled.

I am really enjoying seeing many of you at events, including parades and county fairs, and I am working for you even when we are not in session. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or concerns: Ken Rahjes, 1798 E. 900 Rd. Agra, KS 67621; [email protected] or (785) 302-8416.

Thank you for the honor and privilege of serving you in the Kansas House of Representatives.

Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, is the state representative for the 110th Dist.