Fellow Kansas Democrats,

It seems almost ironic that one of the things that makes me most proud to be a Democrat is when I see Democrats championing something that goes beyond a party label. This past week, I have been thrilled to see Governor Laura Kelly continue to stand up for the future of public schools in Kansas, and especially in rural schools. As a proud mom of three children, all products of Kansas public schools, I also couldn’t be more proud that we have a governor who understands that quality community schools should be a value that unites us, not divides us. As the State Party Chair in constant communication with so many rural Kansas Democrats, I can say that the fear of losing an essential part of civic, family, and cultural life was profound. As the chair who has been hearing from educators and families alike, especially of children in special education programs, the frustration was tangible. Taking care of our schools is something that helps us all do better.

The parts of bills such as SB 113 that Governor Kelly signed into law that puts more funding into our neighborhood schools, is a reflection of five years of her unwavering commitment to an institution that brings out the best in all of us. Thank you, Governor Laura Kelly!

Also I want to express my gratitude to Vice Chair Shaun Junkins who has been making sure that our friends in Labor have had a voice not only on this bill, but on so many others — and in our party as well.

Recent updates
The new kansasdems.org website is going live! As soon as the URL transfers to our new platform, you will soon be seeing an updated website that will be an even more cohesive landing page and hub for the Kansas Democratic Party.
I have been working with Vice Chair Shaun Junkins to make sure that the labor movement continues to be recognized in our party decisions. I appreciate his advocacy!
If you are a County Party chair, Caucus chair, or Congressional District, and you either have updates we should include in our page for your organization, or if you’ve been building a new website, please contact [email protected]!
We are in the final process of hiring a new Executive Director! I am thrilled for what it will mean for our party to continue to build up our staff so we can build out our party.
Asian American Heritage Month: as we’re preparing to close out the month of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, I wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate our AAPI Caucus in the Kansas Democratic Party. Thank you so much to Rehan Reza and to the AAPI members of the Kansas Democratic Party for your incredible contributions to the betterment of us all.

Travels of the Chair
I’m crossing this state to make sure that no matter whether you live in a bigger city or a rural county, you and your local party can meet with me and be heard. If you’d like to invite me to one of your events, please reach out to [email protected]!
Thank you for the warm welcome to your fundraiser, Riley County Democrats! I had a great time.
Thank you for your gracious invitation, Riley County Chair Katie Lear.
It was great to see Sen. Usha Reddi and Rep. Sydney Carlin, as well.
We honored Former Senator Tom Hawk for all his incredible work for Kansans.
We celebrated new candidates stepping up to run for office!
I traveled to Montgomery County earlier and enjoyed the company of so many dedicated Democrats.
One thing that remains with me from that time, though, is that they told me about their personal connection to why we need to protect and expand Medicare.
Many of the people in the room were born at Mercy Hospital, another needless casualty of what happens when promises to fund Medicare - and the people who rely on it - are broken.

Save the Date - DemoFest 2023!
(I’ll reuse the old language from last time – but thoughts on re-opening the survey for input if we have a wider audience?)

Thank you so much, once again, fellow Kansas Democrats, for your support as well as for your grace. I’m closing in on my first 100 days as Party Chair, and your commitment to being on this journey with me is something I am grateful for every day.

PS: you still have time to file to vote in the primary election. Your vote is your voice!
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Paid for by The Kansas Democratic Party | Vicki Hiatt, Treasurer
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