Voters in the Pittsburg area had a chance to hear from their candidates for the Kansas House District 3 ahead of the November 3 general election. The Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate forum for the two candidates — RepublicanDJ Perry and DemocratIsaiah Harris at the city's police department.
District 3 covers Crawford County — parts of Chicopee, Opolis and Pittsburg township.
Perry retired from the military service two years ago and currently serves as a commissioner for the city of Pittsburg.
Harris grew up in Pittsburg and graduated from Pittsburg State University. He's worked at a local restaurant, the Mall Deli and at Dillon's grocery store.
The forum, moderated by Blake Benson of the Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, started with prepared questions and then moved to questions from the crowd.
The questions ranged from Kansas' expected budget challenges and the economic drivers of the southeast Kansas area.
Prepared question 1: What are the top issues facing District 3, and what solutions would you pursue in the 2027 Kansas legislative session?
Harris said he and his campaign team have knocked on about 3,000 doors throughout the Pittsburg community. He said affordability was the biggest concern among the people he spoke with while canvassing. "Everyone is feeling the tight squeeze right now,” he said.
"Which is why I'm running on the platform I'm running on — raising the minimum wage, expanding access to health care through expanding Medicaid, investing in our public schools, fully funding them," he said.
Perry said District 3's main issue is affordability — but attributed it to property taxes in Pittsburg.
"If we can control the property tax and go after the evaluation side of things, I think we're going to have a real ability to make a difference in everybody's lives," said Perry.
Prepared question Two: "The 2027 Kansas legislator is expected to face a significant budget challenge, with some projections estimating a shortfall as much as $400 million. As a member of the Kansas House, how would you approach balancing the state budget? What spending, revenue, or other changes would you consider?"
Perry said he's met with legislators and discussed the state budget.
He said he has experience balancing budgets and could tackle specific issues if elected.
For Harris, he said, "the Kansas legislature needs an outside perspective, someone willing to criticize what the state's government is focused on."
Throughout the forum, Harris pointed to the legalization of marijuana for Kansas. He said legalizing it would help to raise revenue.
Prepared question Three: "It's no secret that Pittsburg State University is a major economic education driver for southeast Kansas. While Pitt State's budget is supported by tuition and private giving, it still relies heavily on state funding. If elected, what role will you play in advocating for stable and increased funding from the State of Kansas to Pittsburg State University?
Harris is a graduate of Pittsburg State University.
Harris warned that state education funding will affect Pitt State. He believed the state should focus on investing "in our people, public transportation, childcare, housing, making these avenues for economic development and upward mobility more accessible."
Perry said he is an 'active gorilla' in reference to Pitt State's mascot, the gorillas. He said it's very important to be a strong voice for the community.
"We all know that Pittsburg State is half the heartbeat of this community," he said. "We have to have real conversations with real people."
The next set of questions were from the audience. The questions covered various issues, including Medicaid expansion, marijuana legalization, school vouchers, and the regulation of Flock cameras.
Perry said he doesn't think Medicaid expansion is needed after talking with legislators.
"When you're looking at expanding Medicaid and where the money is actually going, I think we need to focus on the people that are currently being cared for and not overburden the system," said Perry.
Harris said Medicaid expansion, while an imperfect solution, is a "step in ensuring that healthcare is more affordable and accessible for everyone in our community."
Harris and Perry disagreed on most topics, but they both agreed on term limits for legislators and regulations for Flock cameras.
Harris said he's against mass surveillance on principle. He said it goes against the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment, which protects the right to privacy.
"It's a shame that this technology has proliferated the way that it has," Harris said.
Perry said we have to pay attention to technology and Flock cameras/
"We live in a world where everything is happening. It's in our hands, it's on the walls, it's everywhere," he added.
The two candidates connected their experience with Pittsburg and how it will translate to the state capitol during their closing statements.
Harris said he’ll challenge the status quo in Topeka if elected to the state legislature.
"You have my word that the issues I'm running on are important not just to me, but to people in our community," Harris said.
Perry looks forward to bridging the gap between Pittsburg and the state capitol.
"I have the life skills. I have the experience. I have the education. I know how to make this work," he said.
The general election for Kansas House and Senate seats is November 3. For voting information, visit theKansas Secretary of State's website.
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