Well, we are in an election year and the filing date is right around the corner. What does that mean? It means that the campaigns will get fully under way and we, the voters, have a lot of work to do. I know what you are thinking— shouldn’t it be the candidates working hard?
Yes, they will have their hands full trying to convince us to vote for them. However, we will have our work cut out for us too when trying to decide for whom to vote. I hope that you will take time to get to know the candidates for all the positions up for election this year. Even those that are close to home like county commissioners. Often, they have the biggest influence over your day-to-day lives.
Do not get me wrong, the state and federal elections are important, and I hope you will do your due diligence on those candidates as well. I cannot help but think this is one of the most important elections in our history. We need to make sure we support the candidate that represents our positions.
I also hope you will take some time and get involved in a campaign for a candidate that you believe in. We all need to take a more active role in helping to decide who will represent us at each level of government.
As Farm Bureau members you also can get involved and have a say in which candidates will earn the endorsement of Voters Organized To Elect Farm Bureau Friends. Each county should have a dedicated group to evaluate candidates based on their support for agriculture and make recommendations to the VOTE FBF board, which is comprised of independently elected representatives from each of the 10 Kanas Farm Bureau districts.
These recommendations are important as VOTE FBF considers endorsements of candidates who are pro agriculture. The VOTE FBF board takes the recommendations of the counties very seriously since you are the ones who live with the candidates and know them much better.
To take part in the county evaluation process, you must be a member of Kansas Farm Bureau and a contributor to VOTE FBF. These voluntary contributions are the only source of money used to make campaign donations to endorsed candidates. Then let your county coordinator or your county president know you are interested in being part of the process. To learn more, visit www.kfb.org/VOTEFBF.
When trying to decide which candidate to vote for I hope you will also look at the list of candidates earning a VOTE FBF endorsement and take that into consideration also. We must find candidates who are supporters of agriculture, it is the most important economic driver in the state of Kansas.
Vote FBF only endorses at the state and federal levels, so it is up to each of you to find the local candidates who best represent your views and values. Again, I cannot emphasize the importance of being informed and active this election cycle. Who we chose to represent us has enormous implications for the future. Become informed and vote.
“Insight” is a weekly column published by Kansas Farm Bureau, the state’s largest farm organization whose mission is to strengthen agriculture and the lives of Kansans through advocacy, education and service. Glenn Brunkow is a Pottawatomie County farmer and rancher.
