James Thompson, civil rights attorney from Wichita, Kansas plays a unique role in the weeks ahead — he’ll be the first Democratic candidate to hit a special election ballot box in Kansas District 4. The appointment of former Representative Mike Pompeo to the CIA opened up a special election opportunity, and one week before the Georgia 6th, Kansas gets to head to the polls and find out how motivated voters in KS04 are to get behind an effort for change.
A veteran, Thompson made inroads in the Democratic convention by putting himself out there as the progressive candidate in the race, touting his Bernie Sanders bonafides. That paid off today, with the endorsement of Our Revolution, who has chosen to back Thompson in his quest to take the seat.
Our Revolution's endorsement: ourrevolution.com/…
Ron Estes, the Republican opponent and state treasurer has taken the race for granted, assuming he will walk into office with very little contest. Estes is so confident that he’s skipped public forums, refused debates, and ran a campaign that says: “I win by default.”
Thompson, on the other hand, is trying an outreach campaign, hoping to build community support behind his goals, and his campaign believes that those things will pay off in the end.
Part of this may be due to Estes standing as a Trump elector — and his statements of full out endorsement of the president’s agenda.
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Estes and his wife are both delegates at Thursday's convention. The 60-year-old Republican was one of the electors who voted for Trump, and said he is pleased with the direction the new president has taken the country.
Special elections, typically low turnout affairs, offer untested ground for both the Republican and Democratic candidate, and may give a chance to see how well the campaigns themselves can work to get voters out to the polls.
Both political parties tell us the new landscape makes for a unique election setting:
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"These special elections are low turnout, which means if a group really gets organized and energized and well funded they can boost their own turnout — which would flip a seat. So we are not taking this as just a solid Republican seat that we will win easily," said Clay Barker, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party.
"This special election gives people that have been so angry and frustrated with what the Trump administration has been doing since they have taken over, it gives them their first chance to fight back," said Kerry Gooch, executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party.
With mere weeks left, the Thompson campaign is encouraging Kansans and others to get involved, and even celebrities like Samantha Bee and Justine Bateman are urging his election.
In an unusual April election, there are no assurances of what happens next, but Kansas Democratic members are hopeful the Thompson campaign can set a high mark in turning out voters and continue to raise the Democratic brand.
To donate to the Thompson campaign, click here: secure.actblue.com/...