For the 89th Kansas District, this is the general election.
Unless there’s a serious write-in campaign, the winner of the primary for the 89th Kansas House District in Northeast Wichita, will most likely be heading to Topeka in January. Without a Republican candidate in the race, the November general election will most likely confirm the will of the primary voters.
So, for residents of the 89th District, hoping to have a legitimate say in who will represent them, they better turn up and vote in the primary. Lucky for those residents, they have three strong candidates to choose from.
To help you learn more about the three Democrats vying to represent the 89th District, we asked them two revealing and targeted questions.
LeSean Tarkington
Age: 38
Occupation: Senior pastor
What makes you the most qualified candidate to
represent our district?
In a short amount of time I have been able to make an impact by serving as the elected Democratic committeeman for the 118th precinct, registering voters, serving on the District One advisory board, and as a faith & community leader working within my district.
The 89th District needs someone who has a track record for bringing in resources, meeting the needs of the electorate and working with the Democratic Party on the state level. My skill set meets those outlined qualifications in addition in being able to cross party lines in meeting the overall needs of the state.
It appears all of you support some kind of criminal justice reform. Where do you suggest the State start on this issue and how would you go about moving forward from your suggested starting point?
We don’t want there to be “Black justice” or “White justice” or “Hispanic justice” – we want equal justice and equal treatment for all. That starts with making certain that Law Enforcement does not operate with implicit biases and assumptions made because of skin color, accent, etc. State mandated implicit bias training as a part of continuing education for all badge holders is a great start. Also, a review of training procedures. One Georgia police department discovered that when they stopped using mug shots of black men as targets on their gun range, the shooting of black men dropped dramatically.
KC Ohaebosim (incumbent)
Age: 39
Occupation: Data analyst
What makes you the most qualified candidate to
represent our district?
As the current Representative, I have the experience of working across the aisle to get things done for my constituents. I voted to reverse the 2012 tax cuts, I voted for Medicaid expansion, I’ve voted numerous time to increase funding for education and USD 259, I also voted to increase funding for social services programs and for job training programs for my district.
It appears all of you support some kind of criminal justice reform. Where do you suggest the State start on this issue and how would you go about moving forward from your suggested starting point?
We’ve already started the process of addressing this issue during this past Legislative session. I and my colleague State Rep. Gail Finney were able to work across the aisle in the House and pass the Wrongful Conviction Compensation Law, and HB 2571 which requires law enforcement (local or state levels) to release and allow within 21 days of a request, viewing by persons shown on body cam or dash cam video, their parents, heirs and attorneys. We were also able to restore and add more funding towards mental health for citizens of our district and State.
Marty Keenan
Age: 57
Occupation: Attorney
What makes you the most qualified candidate to
represent our district?
I’m 57, have been married to Julie for 29 years, and we raised two adult sons. Julie is a Wichita native, and spent part of her childhood in the 89th. I practiced law in Wichita from 1985-1988 and met Julie here. I was living in the 89th District when I decided to move back to Great Bend to practice in the family law firm. We raised our kids there. We moved back to Wichita two years ago, living in the 89th. As a lawyer and criminal justice professor, I am uniquely suited to deal with two top issues: education and criminal justice reform.
It appears all of you support some kind of criminal justice reform. Where do you suggest the State start on this issue and how would you go about moving forward from your suggested starting point?
Criminal Justice reform must begin with legalizing and taxing marijuana, both medical and recreational marijuana. The mandatory minimum sentences on “hard drugs” should be shortened for non-violent addicts. We need to help non-violent addicts get well, rather than spending $25,000 a year jailing them.