KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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This election, local candidates are attaching themselves to national talking points like immigration and the state of democracy.
“I will protect our borders, I will protect our families,” former President Donald Trump said at a rally this week.
“We're actually fighting for our democracy,” Vice President Kamala Harris told her supporters.
State senate candidates are sending mailers to voters around the Kansas City area calling opponents “radical” and vowing to address immigration, which is mostly a federal policy.
“I see that, but I don’t let that do it for me. I try to filter out all the noise,” said Kevin McCullough, a voter in Kansas City, Missouri.
He understands the people on the ballot who will represent him in Jefferson City have a greater impact on issues like property taxes, public education and how long lines are at the Department of Motor Vehicles.
So why do candidates repeat the same talking points as their national counterparts?
“The polling that gets done shows these messages are coming blasting out of the parties, and if you’re the down-ballot candidate and your party is going to carry the state, you want to be identified with that message. So instead of talking about something that actually relates to the job you’re going to have, this is much easier,” explained Ambassador Allan Katz.
Katz helped Democrats craft policies before becoming ambassador to Portugal in 2009. He founded American Public Square at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri.
Katz said voters no longer demand serious conversations from candidates on issues.
“That would be so nice if they actually told you what they’re going to do,” McCullough admitted. “I think really they’re just telling you what they think you want to hear a lot of times.”
Voters said they find information on where a local candidate stands by speaking with friends and doing research in voter guides.
“I try to look at the facts, not just emotion and what anybody says,” said Clinton Wynn, a Wyandotte County, Kansas, voter.
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