For Kobach, there is a war of sorts going on — though he has never fought in one. Kobach sees Kansas, and all of America, as under siege by changing demographics and a raging horde that he believes he must fend off — with pretend car mounted rifles if necessary.

The Secretary of State has been tested at every turn, been found in contempt for lying to a federal court, and yet he continues to refuse to back down, while Kansans pay the bill.

It is easy to talk about the negatives of Kris Kobach — but often, Kobach’s incredible and outrageous acts occupy all the news, while acts of kindness and bravery, well, not so much attention.

I could talk about Kris Kobach’s terrible behavior or terrible policy toward the state of Kansas, but today, I’d rather tell a brief story of why I am all in for Laura Kelly in the fall election.





Over the years, I’ve written about my son often. It hasn’t always been comfortable. The journey of a young man with mental disabilities who has to work every day to get ahead. He is bright, aware, pays attention, and when his meds are working well he’s a great kid.

When things don’t go so well, life can be pretty difficult. Many members of the Kansas State House, who see me frequently during a legislative session, know him or of him. They’ve seen him come with me to Topeka, or they’ve read what I’ve written about him.

Long before her run for Governor, Senator Laura Kelly was one of those legislators who went above and beyond on behalf of families like mine — working to help us get answers as to the care of our kids and the options they would have in the future.

In the photo above — almost a decade old now — he’s attending a wedding, a ring bearer for a teacher and his paraprofessional. And few people in the state house have ever advocated as strongly for the role of paraprofessional.

For parents of children with disabilities, and those who are disability advocates, Senator Kelly was one of the first stops any of us would make in the state house when it came to issues that impact our children and families. The reason was simple: she understood, better than most, the complex situations the state would put us in.

In July of 2016, the State of Kansas inadvertently killed (on paper) my oldest son. This small error would send many Kansans who needed critical services into pure panic, wondering what would happen next. Within hours of posting my article, and visiting in the state house, Laura Kelly, along with two others (one Democratic Representative and one Republican representative) reached out to say: “how can we help to fix this”.

When someone shows you who they are with more than words, believe them. It is the acts that define them. Kris Kobach runs around a parade with fake guns to scare people. Laura Kelly, as a senator before she was seeking higher office reached out to concerned families who didn’t live in her district and asked how she could help them.

This morning, Greg Orman, the independent candidate running, continued to indicate that he sees no difference between Kelly and Kobach, following up his mail and claims.

What a sad and privileged world it is, to be able to stay out of the day to day needs of families in Kansans. When compassion and caring are devalued so that they don’t matter, and major policy differences can be washed away because it just doesn’t match the narrative you want to sell.

I consider Senator Kelly a friend; many Kansans feel the same way.

It is time we reject a dark vision of what our state looks like, where we define each other as enemies or potential enemies. Over the next few months, you will hear a lot of comparisons regarding Kobach — often that he is Sam Brownback on steroids. The truth is far darker. Sam Brownback’s policies were an economic disaster for Kansas. Kris Kobach’s beliefs and fearmongering attitudes are a moral disaster for Kansas. There is a difference.