By ALIN HETT
Hays Post
The Ellis County Democratic Society hosted a candidate forum at the Hays Public Library on Saturday, featuring Democratic candidates for statewide and local offices.
Those in attendance included Cindy Holscher, Democratic candidate for Kansas governor; Mark Schaukowitch, candidate for Kansas House District 110; Melanie McMillan, candidate for House District 111; and Lorie Wood, candidate for Kansas State Board of Education District 5.
Each candidate spoke about their campaigns and took part in an audience question-and-answer session.
Cindy Holscher, Kansas gubernatorial candidate
State Senator Cindy Holscher spoke about her background, legislative record and campaign priorities during remarks at the event, where she described herself as the Democratic frontrunner for governor of Kansas.
Holscher said she comes from a farming family and credited public schools and union jobs with helping lift her family out of poverty.
“I’m the granddaughter of tenant farmers, the poorest of the poor,” Holscher said. “Public schools and a good union job are the things that propelled my family out of poverty.”
Holscher highlighted her work in the Kansas Legislature during the rollback of former Governor Sam Brownback’s tax policies, often referred to by critics as the “Brownback experiment.”
“We ended that Brownback experiment,” Holscher said. “We were losing teachers, and we still have not fully recovered from that.”
Holscher said she first entered politics after becoming frustrated with state education funding cuts and later defeated Republican candidates in traditionally conservative districts in both the Kansas House and Senate.
“I’m the only Democratic candidate that wins in red areas,” Holscher said. “I’ve done it four times.”
During her remarks, Holscher discussed issues she said voters across Kansas are focused on, including affordable housing, Medicaid expansion, education funding and medical cannabis legalization.
“It is time we expand Medicaid,” Holscher said. “We have not fully funded special ed since 2011.”
Holscher also criticized what she described as culture war legislation passed by Republican lawmakers while arguing Kansans are more concerned about rising costs and access to services.
“All across the state, the main thing on people’s minds is life is expensive, and why is the Legislature not doing something about it?” Holscher said.
Holscher concluded by emphasizing coalition, saying Democrats need candidates capable of winning in conservative areas while continuing to push policy priorities forward.
Mark Schaukowitch, Kansas House District 110
Mark Schaukowitch said health care remains one of the three central focuses of his campaign for Kansas House District 110, arguing rural northwest Kansas continues to struggle with retaining medical professionals and expanding access to care.
Kansas House District 110 includes Kansas House District 110 covers Graham, Norton, Phillips, and Rooks counties, as well as the parts of Ellis County outside of the city of Hays and Victoria.
Schaukowitch said counties across northwest Kansas are facing challenges tied to aging populations and a lack of Medicaid expansion, which he believes has limited economic growth in the region.
“Our only growing population is those 55 and older, because we do not have Medicaid expansion,” Schaukowitch said. “It is extremely hard to keep nurses and medical professionals in our area.”
He also pointed to housing as another major issue facing rural communities. Schaukowitch said affordable housing shortages, rising costs and private equity purchases are creating additional pressure for residents.
“We do not have affordable housing out here,” Schaukowitch said. “We have problems with private equity buying up housing and driving up costs and prices.”
Schaukowitch also discussed property taxes, saying Kansas needs to revisit the formula used to determine mill levies and consider long-term funding solutions for rural counties.
Among the ideas proposed during his remarks was the creation of a sovereign wealth fund for rural counties, which he said will help communities reduce reliance on property taxes over time.
“What a sovereign wealth fund would do for the area would be to invest some state money, and some county money and hopefully municipal money,” Schaukowitch said. “That would create a reasonable distribution each year which counties and municipalities could use without having to rely on property taxes.”
Schaukowitch also discussed the need for local organizing and building political influence in rural communities before offering a broader warning about the stakes.
“What's coming is a land grab,” Schaukowitch said. “They're coming for your family farms, they're coming for your small towns, they're coming for your rights and that is a problem that we should all be addressing together, regardless of party affiliation out here.”
Melanie McMillan, Kansas House District 111
Melanie McMillan, candidate for Kansas House District 111, emphasized constituent advocacy and public service during her remarks.
McMillan, who is running to represent Hays and Victoria, said she has not previously held political office but believes her professional background and research into the responsibilities of the position have prepared her for the role.
“I’ve always applied for jobs I’ve been qualified for and that I’ve wanted,” McMillan said. “I have been very successful in all those jobs.”
McMillan said she reviewed the duties of Kansas House representatives before launching her campaign, pointing to responsibilities including budgeting, taxation, oversight of state agencies and constituent advocacy.
“Are you truly represented?” McMillan asked the audience. “Are you truly advocated for?”
Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, McMillan said she moved to Kansas in 2004 and credited the state’s infrastructure and opportunities in higher education for helping shape her decision to stay.
McMillan also spoke about her upbringing in a union household and her family’s emphasis on education and humanitarian values. She referenced stories from her father’s military service during school integration efforts in Little Rock, Arkansas, saying those experiences influenced her views on public service and equality.
Throughout her remarks, McMillan encouraged residents to share their concerns about state government and daily life in Kansas.
“What keeps you up at night?” McMillan said. “What are your fears? What are your concerns?”
McMillan concluded by asking voters for their support and saying she hopes to serve as a voice for District 111 in Topeka.
Lorie Wood, Kansas Board of Education, District 5
Lorie Wood, candidate for Kansas State Board of Education District 5, highlighted her background as an educator and advocate for special education funding during her remarks.
Wood said District 5 spans 45 counties across western and north central Kansas. Originally from Dresden, Wood said her experience teaching in classrooms from kindergarten through college has given her firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing educators.
“I think that is very important for a board of education member to actually understand what it is like to be in the classroom,” Wood said.
Wood said she has worked in education for more than 30 years, teaching English, journalism, literature, English language acquisition and college composition courses. She also said a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in 2018 helped deepen her understanding of accessibility and special education needs within schools.
“One thing my diagnosis did for me is get a much better understanding of students who need special accessibility or special needs,” Wood said. “That is an area that we are just not taking care of properly here in Kansas.”
Wood also discussed teacher pay and school funding, arguing Kansas schools are struggling to retain educators because of low wages and insufficient special education funding.
“Our teachers are the lowest paid in the nation,” she said. “Our best teachers are leaving because they are not being paid a living wage.”
Wood said Kansas has not fully funded special education programs since 2011, which she argued forces districts to pull money away from general education programs.
In addition to education, Wood also discussed her political organizing efforts in northwest Kansas, saying she helped organize Democratic county committees in several rural counties across the region.