I have canvassed the county for about 5 months and spoken with many people. County citizens are very concerned about the following issues:
1) Ever-rising property taxes and city and county government fiscal transparency.
2) A perception that city and county government officials are disconnected, if not apathetic, to their constituents’ economic realities.
3) There is widespread recognition that the District Attorney’s office has been dysfunctional over the past four years and has not adequately safeguarded public safety and victim rights. A collateral concern is that the DA’s office has tried to be too progressive, alienating police agencies, judges, and victims and failing to prosecute violent offenses effectively.
Individuals of all economic circumstances in every Douglas County city and town have consistently communicated the above concerns to me. This list is not confined only to rural or fixed-income individuals.
Why are the above important? How do they intersect?
First, equitable taxation, fiscal transparency, and accountable government are fundamental, nonpartisan citizenship rights. Public safety and collaboration among all criminal justice system components are also crucial and do not belong to any specific political party.
The main point is that citizens with specific concerns about representation should become knowledgeable about all candidates and vote for the most qualified candidate to address their concerns.
We currently have an extremely polarized, if not calcified, political environment. Unfortunately, such division can create a kind of voter tunnel vision, with a refusal to consider candidates from an alleged “opposition” party. This kind of cognitive bias forms, and all candidates from a party are assumed to be the same or somehow attributed to national candidates’ characteristics. Both parties engage in this to some extent.
I want Douglas County voters to review ALL candidates’ qualifications and choose the person best equipped to address the above problems.
The current District Attorney was inexperienced when she assumed office by a single-party primary vote in 2021. Her tenure has been horrific.
My opponent, Dakota Loomis, has never prosecuted a felony case and has no prior supervisory, leadership, or training qualifications as a state or federal prosecutor. He would enter office with qualifications nearly identical to Suzanne Valdez.
Dakota Loomis has substantial financing, support from the Democratic party and the business community, and financial backing from numerous defense attorneys based in Lawrence. These vested interests want someone they know and arguably can control in office, regardless of qualifications or readiness to fix a broken office. Considering Loomis’ past clients, defense attorney connections, business interests, and political party sponsors, his potential conflicts of interest are significant.
In past forums, Loomis has stated he has “been in the courthouse nearly every day for the past ten years, and people know him and like him.” He also stated, “Fixing the DA’s office will take many, many years, maybe eight or more,” so keep expectations low if I’m elected.
Recency and presence in a courthouse are insufficient qualifications to become the chief county law enforcement official. Prior prosecutorial experience and freedom from conflicts of interest are necessary preconditions. We’re running for a law enforcement position, not for the city commission.
Suppose I am elected by voters and funded by taxpayer money. In that case, I will work as hard as possible to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Douglas County District Attorney’s office. It will be a short-term project; I will be a lead prosecutor, not an inexperienced office manager or administrator. Prosecutors want to work for a prosecutor, not someone learning on the job.
My opponent and other opposing party candidates currently assume that qualifications and widely voiced citizen complaints only matter a little. Why? Because it’s a blue county, and we have more registered Democratic voters. We believe they will vote according to party lines and oppose national candidates. The unspoken assumption is that individuals will not vote informedly on local issues but will vote according to affiliation preference and political bias. A kind of smug presumption that Douglas County voters could be more discerning and will only consider some candidates impartially.
Ironically, if this occurs, we will continue to see escalating taxes, unexpected government spending projects, and yet another inexperienced, underqualified district attorney. An affiliation reversal of the book “What’s the Matter with Kansas.”
Please make a difference and vote with full knowledge of the candidate’s qualifications. By voting, you can control local government.
