US@250: Strengthening the Voice and Vote of Every Kansan

OVERLAND PARK, KS, UNITED STATES, June 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Mayor Curt Skoog will engage voters in Bouge, Scott City, and Goodland, Kansas on July 2, 2026, calling attention to the “V” in his campaign’s THRIVE Agenda: Voice and Vote.

“As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of our Independence from a tyrannical King, I will meet with citizens in parts of Kansas too often left out of the debate about our state’s future, and I will march in one of Topeka’s great traditions, the Potwin Parade,” Mayor Skoog said. Skoog will also appear in his hometown of Topeka for the parade in his boyhood neighborhood, head to Celebrate Freedom in Wamego in the late afternoon, and then launch the Star Spangled Spectacular in Overland Park.

Following the schedule is an essay authored by Mayor Curt Skoog that media outlets are welcome to quote from or publish as part of your US@250 coverage.

July 2, 2026
10:30 am (CT) Bouge United Methodist Church Candidate Forum, PUBLIC INVITED
902 Hummingbird Rd, Bouge KS

2:00 pm (CT) Scott City Record Candidate Forum, PUBLIC INVITED
406 Main Street, Scott City KS

7:15 pm (MT) Goodland Senior Center, PUBLIC INVITED
208 W 15th Street, Goodland KS

July 4, 2026
10:00 am July 4 Potwin Parade, PUBLIC INVITED
Greenwood Ave, Topeka, KS
Mayor Skoog grew up in Potwin and attended Topeka High

1:00 pm – 4:00 Celebrate Freedom, PUBLIC INVITED
Wamego, Kansas

8:00 – 11:00 pm Star Spangled Spectacular, PUBLIC INVITED
Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS
AT 10:15 pm Mayor Skoog will launch a 25 minute pyrotechnic extravaganza

US@250: Strengthening the Voice and Vote of Every Kansan
By Mayor Curt Skoog (D-Overland Park)

From our origin as a state, Kansas played a defining role in America’s history. As we celebrate 250 years since the Framers declared our independence from a tyrannical King, it is important to take stock of our own government right here in Kansas.

As a sixth generation Kansan, my ancestors fought with the Union to secure freedom, then settled here in Wabaunsee and Franklin Counties. Members of my family carved the stone that built the Capitol, grew small businesses in Lyndon and Ottawa, and my father helped design, plan, and build the Kansas Turnpike, raising my four brothers and I in Topeka.

My story differs from that of Dr. Jennifer Bacani McKenney, my Lt. Governor running mate, only by the distance of time. Like my ancestors, her father came to the United States looking for a better life. He studied medicine in Pennsylvania, moved to Fredonia, Kansas for one year and ended up staying to practice medicine, open multiple businesses, and raise a family. Jen is a second generation Kansan who grew up in Fredonia and now practices medicine there, as well as running her own businesses.

Our stories are like all Kansans – no matter if your family has been here for a long time, or you just arrived – every eligible Kansan has an equal voice and vote in helping us build a thriving Kansas, just as Jen and I are doing to honor the dreams of our families.

But democracy is under attack. That has happened before in our history, and when it does, it is even more important for voters to pay attention to who they elect to the State House of Representatives and statewide offices like Governor and Lt. Governor, as well as the US Senate and Congress. We all witnessed an attack on Congress on January 6, 2021, as insurrectionists attempted to stop the legal and authorized counting of ballots. After multiple recounts and 60 court cases confirmed the outcome, some Americans chose violence instead of the peaceful transfer of power. Who knows what may happen during this election? If the federal government cannot function – it falls to each state to protect self-governance and democracy, so it is essential you know you are voting for people who are pro-democracy.

The next governor needs to secure voting rights against the fringe supermajority’s efforts to take citizens’ power away by shortening the mail-ballot window, restricting advance voting, and removing voters from the rolls. They want to be less accountable to the people and they want fewer people to vote.

Like Mayors all over the state, at City Hall, I learned quickly that people expect the government to listen, solve problems, and be responsible for the results. Voters want safe streets, good schools, lower costs, reliable services, strong neighborhoods, and a fair chance to build a life.

That same standard should apply in Topeka. Democracy means Kansans should have a voice not only on Election Day, but in the decisions that shape their communities every day.

But under a radical Supermajority, legislative leaders have silenced debate, rushed bills to hearing with no notice, or used shell games to bring bills to the floor without any advance notice.

And yet this same supermajority has done nothing to lower property taxes, fix school funding, expand Medicaid to save rural hospitals, or provide a stable business climate. They seem fixated on taking power away from voters, not making Kansans’ lives better.

Our democracy has been a beacon to people from around the world for one reason – in America, everyone’s voice matters, and once eligible, every citizen’s vote counts. As leaders, our responsibility is to engage the people of Kansas in conversation about public policy, build consensus, debating the legalities in the legislature, and implementing a vision that reflects the best of who we are. People who want to take that away, to silence your voice, or obstruct your vote, must be stopped. There is no greater way to honor 250 years of Independence than by renewing our commitment to strengthen our democracy. No matter who you vote for, vote in every election.

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Brenda Poor
Skoog McKenney for Kansas
+1 816-507-4870
email us here

Skoog McKenney for Kansas

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