U.S. House candidates on the issues: Independence and partisanship

The Post is publishing candidates' answers to our five-item questionnaire this week, before early voting begins.

Earlier this summer, the Post asked our readers what issues you wanted to hear candidates in federal, state and local races address leading up to the Nov. 3 election.

Based on that feedback, we developed a five-item questionnaire centering the issues most important to residents across Johnson County.

Each day this week, we’ve published the candidates’ responses to one question. So far, we’ve published responses on housing affordability, the war with Iran, immigration enforcement and the safety net.

Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the final question:

Readers want to know to whom you’d answer in Congress. Some asked whether candidates would break with President Trump; others asked where they stand relative to their party’s most left-leaning members. Other readers said they’re tired of party loyalty over constituents. Give a specific example of where you might break with your party’s leadership on an issue and why.

Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on the issue:


Sharice Davids (Democratic, incumbent)

My accountability is to the people of Kansas’s Third District — pure and simple. Not party leadership, and not Washington insiders or corporate donors.

I didn’t take a typical path to Congress. Growing up in a single-parent household and working my way through college, I know what it actually feels like to worry about making ends meet. That lived experience guides everything I do: if a policy lowers costs for working families, I’ll support it regardless of who introduced it. But if a proposal hurts our local families or small businesses, I won’t hesitate to stand up to anyone — including my own party.

A clear example is my fight to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks. I pushed hard for this reform even when my own party’s leadership refused to bring it to the floor, because Kansans are sick of politicians profiting off insider information gained on the job.

I’m proud to have earned the nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation’s Transparency and Accountability Award because my team is dedicated to keeping constituents informed. I show up across all parts of the district to listen directly to Kansans — whether they voted for me or not. I will always put Kansas first, be an adult in the room, and fight for commonsense solutions over partisan D.C. games.

Steve Hohe (Libertarian)

Steve HoheI base my campaign on my Merit and Not my Party!!

When will candidates understand, the Congress in DC didn’t get you your position, President Trump didn’t get you that position and of course your Party didn’t get you that Position. It’s Voters! Republicans, Democrats, Unaffiliated, and Libertarians; when you vote your affiliation after the election you’re stuck with it, this is why we’re in this Mess!

This is my fourth time running and I’ve ran on a three plank platform; Lowering the National Debt, Taxation and the third is always whatever could be the present problem. As for my opponents their campaigns promises are nothing more than colloquial quips.

If elected, I’m well aware of the ugly underbelly of what’s waiting for me in DC, The Congressional Iron Triangle, the invitation to
Georgetown University to be paired off with some lobbyist and the denial of committee position, because I don’t get along.
Remember “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.” Reagan
“I’m not a Problem Solver.- I’m a Problem Eliminator!” Hohe

Eric Jenkins (Republican)

Did not provide the Post with a response.

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