Speaker Pro Tem Endorses Erik Seligman for District 83-- Don't Be Fooled By Misleading Mailings!

You may have recently received a mailer from my opponent with a huge quote by Kansas House Speaker Pro Tempore Blake Carpenter covering half the page, implying that he has his endorsement.   But this is not the case.  If you read carefully, Carpenter was praising him on one particular issue.   As I’ve mentioned before, my opponent is on the somewhat conservative side for a Democrat, so it’s not surprising that occasionally Republicans praise him on particular issues.    But Carpenter has clearly endorsed *me*, not my opponent, in the current election.  He has supplied the following quote:

I’m proud to endorse Erik Seligman because he will be a strong ally in cutting property taxes and reining in government spending.   The current incumbent often helps sustain the governor’s vetoes on commonsense reforms.  With the governor vowing to block property tax cuts in 2025, we need Erik to help us secure the votes to override her vetoes and bring much-needed relief to Kansans.

So, don’t let yourselves be fooled by my opponent’s misleading mailer!   As I pointed out in one of my other articles,   despite my opponent trying to push the meme that he’s a fiscal conservative, he cannot be relied on to stand up to the governor’s vetoes or significantly reduce taxes and spending.

The Final Month of the Campaign

It's hard to believe it's only another month until Election Day.    Don't forget that there are a number of ways you can still help:

• Spread the word:   Tell your friends about me, and invite them to follow my Facebook page.    If you have a small group of friends who wants to learn more, I'm happy to meet you for coffee sometime!
• Get a yard sign:   I just got a new batch of signs.   Email (erik@wichitaerik.com) or call (503-312-1665) and I'll make sure to put one on your lawn.
• Contribute money:   If you're doing well enough that you can afford to donate, every bit helps!   Email/call me to pick up a check, or Zelle the money directly to erik@wichitaerik.com .

Thanks again for all the support! 

Radio Interview tonight, Sun 9/29, on the John Whitmer Show (8:30)

 Hi everyone-- just a quick post to let you know that I'll be on the John Whitmer Show tonight (9/29) around 8:30.   This is a local Wichita talk show, broadcast on KNSS (98.7/1330) and over the web.   If you get a chance to listen, drop me an email & tell me what you thought!

Cookies With The Candidate, Sunday 9/22, 3-5pm

Join us for Cookies with the Candidate at Kathie Cooper’s backyard (140 S Lynnwood Blvd) this Sunday, 9/22, from 3-5 pm.  Your voice is important:  meet me to share your thoughts, questions, and concerns.  

No charge or monetary contribution needed to attend- just bring yourselves & enjoy some delicious cookies!   All are welcome.   

And as always, if that time isn't good for you, you can email me at erik@wichitaerik.com to set up a chat some other time.

Hope to see you there!

A New Addition to My Campaign Staff

Meet Monkey, the newest addition to our family.    Technically she's a guest-- my sister is spending a year in Spain with her husband & kids, and figured that leaving her with us is better than the trauma of international travel, quarantine laws, etc.   

Not sure how much she'll directly contribute to the campaign, but cute animals get a lot more web views than political debates anyway!   

Come Meet Me This Friday (8/30), 4-7PM, at Sweetpops

Join me for a casual “Meet the Candidate” event at Sweetpops (550 N Rock Rd) Friday 8/30 from 4-7pm. You can drop in any time during those hours to ask questions & discuss your concerns. Your voice matters, and this is a great chance to connect and share your thoughts. Whoever asks me the most interesting question will win a free massage at Sveta's!

Hope to see you there!

School Choice, 2nd Amendment, Balanced Budgets, and Other Issues

Now that we are past the primary, let's discuss positions on a few more issues.   Some have advised me not to do this-  “You’re just giving your opponents ammo to use against you!”   My opponent certainly seems to be taking this advice, as his website still doesn’t seem to have been updated since 2020, and what is there in his Issues section is mostly just a few sentences of broad generalities and obvious fluff.    But that’s not the kind of campaign I want to run:  as I have mentioned before,  I promise to always clearly explain my position on issues of concern, even at the risk that you may not agree with everything I say.   I think open discussion is the key to making American government successful.

Although I am new to Kansas politics, I have served in elected office before, spending four years on the board of one of Oregon’s largest school districts, supervising the education of over 20,000 students.  While there, I continually published a blog explaining my votes and reasoning on key issues.   So today I’ll highlight some of my posts there, to help you better understand where I stand on various topics of importance. 

Here are links to some of the blog articles I wrote on issues debated/voted while serving on that school board.   There’s a lot here, so don’t try to read them all— but be sure to check out my articles on the topics that interest you.   If you want to discuss any of these further, or even if you disagree and want to try to convince me to change my mind, feel free to email me at erik@wichitaerik.com!

Supporting school choice

• Education Savings Accounts in Oregon?

• Real Equity through School Choice

• Does Hillsboro Hold Hostages?

• Who We Represent

Supporting the 2nd Amendment

• Make Hillsboro a Real Sanctuary

• Guns in the Schools

Preventing schools from distributing birth control without parent notification

• Should Your District Get a School Based Health Center?

• War of the Sexes?

• Birth Control in the Schools?

Fairly distributing government money and positions, without insider privileges

• Being Mean to Old People

• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Education Service District

Opposing waste of government resources & balancing budgets

• State Laws Preventing Responsible School Spending

• Environmental Fanatics Robbing Oregon’s Children

• School Budgeting for the Future

• Balance the School Budget

Opposing minimum wage increases
        - Insulting The Poor

Exposing & opposing racist and anti-semitic “Equity” programs

• Public Schools Encouraging Anti-Semitism

• Advancing Equity Through Ad Hominem Arguments

• Is Meritocracy a Myth?

• How to be Racist in Hillsboro

Not abusing school/government resources to advocate policy

        --   Children as Political Pawns

• Should Public Schools Advertise?

• Oregon’s Politicized School Board Association

Supporting STEM (Science/Tech/Engineering/Math) Education

• STEAMing our STEM into STEAKS

• Comments on the CPM Math Curriculum

• True Career Readiness

Maintaining educational standards 

• Opting Out of SBAC Tests

• Teaching To the Test

• Moving and Confusing the Goalposts

• The Equity Emergency

Keeping your sense of humor

• National Common Sense Week

• Springtime for Student Safety

• An Idea Whose Time Has Come