Senate hopeful Mark Holland states his case in run against Jerry Moran | Commentary

The election on Nov. 8 presents a choice between two very different views of America.

I choose the America that looks forward to what is next. I believe our best years are ahead of us and I seek to embrace the future unafraid. My opponent to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate wants to make America something it used to be. I choose to look forward to a collaborative future. My opponent is looking backward to a polarized past.

I never thought it was fair that my dad was the preacher at my church and my mom was a teacher at my school. Yet, this upbringing gave me values of service and accountability. These are the same values I have worked to instill in my own four children, and these are the values that I bring to elected office.

As a former Wyandotte County commissioner and the former mayor of Kansas City, Kansas, I know there is no Democratic or Republican way to pave a street. We elect officials to solve problems, and I believe Washington D.C. is the problem we need to solve. We need a new senator who can work across the aisle and provide bold, courageous leadership for Kansas.

As a third-generation pastor, I know we do not sit on the left or right side of the church depending on which party we belong to. We worship together, sing in the choir together, and serve in the food kitchen together. Washington could learn something about our communities of faith and how we work together.

I can work with individuals who are both left and right of center, but if you cannot see the center from where you are standing, you are likely standing in the wrong place. My opponent, Sen. Jerry Moran, often gets a pass for supposedly being a centrist, but his voting record is extreme. Here are just a few examples:

▪ I trust women and I would vote to codify Roe v Wade. My opponent has an extreme record of banning abortion rights. He voted for Supreme Court justices to eliminate Roe v Wade. He has co-sponsored 75 different bills in the U.S. Senate to take away choice for women. He gave $50,000 to the constitutional amendment campaign in August that would have allowed the Kansas Legislature to impose severe restrictions on abortion rights.

▪ I believe in the separation of church and state. My opponent wants the government to enforce his religious views about women and abortion.

▪ I back working families. My opponent voted against the bipartisan infrastructure bill that is bringing $3.8 billion of real jobs and real wages to Kansas.

▪ I back our seniors and I would protect Social Security and Medicare. My opponent voted against Medicare negotiating better prescription medicine costs for Kansas seniors. And he voted against capping the cost of insulin.

▪ I support commonsense gun reform. Just a few weeks ago, Democrats and Moderate Republicans voted for modest gun reform. My opponent sided with the extremists and voted against it.

▪ I have confidence in science, and I will protect the environment. My opponent refuses to take any meaningful steps to protect our farmers and families from climate change.

▪ I will always defend democracy. My opponent refused to investigate the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol or to renew the Voting Rights Act.

At the end of the day, the last thing Kansas needs is another weather vane. My opponent has spent 20 years in Washington D.C., weakly following the political winds. The result of his lack of leadership is a government as toxic as any in our lifetimes.

I would bring common sense and courage to Washington. I would work across the aisle to bring real solutions back to Kansas. I would not hesitate to take a stand for what is right. Kansas deserves better leadership. I look forward to serving as your next U.S. senator.

Rev. Mark Holland is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate for Kansas and former mayor or Kansas City, Kansas.