Britani Potter, Ottawa, was a good sport when she, for all intents and purposes, was the only candidate who appeared at Wednesday’s forum in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins sent staff member Lee Modesitt as her stand-in.
Right off the bat, Potter said she was uncomfortable having to declare herself a Democrat in the race for the 2nd District seat, saying she felt the country’s two-party system forced her to make the decision, but “In order for me to maintain my integrity I must tell you I am an independent.”
With Potter as the obvious underdog against Jenkins’s 16 years in state and federal office, Potter’s understanding of the issues was impressive.
And though the two women were not on stage together, their lives are a study in similarities and contrasts.
Potter grew up in poverty and was a teenage mom who left an abusive relationship. Since then she has put her self through college and is working toward a master’s degree in family financial planning. She is now married with three sons.
Potter said financial literacy would go a long way toward battling poverty. “Poor public policy” is what keeps people in poverty, she maintained.
Jenkins also has a financial background. Before she became a career politician she was a CPA. Modesitt said tax reform may lie ahead and that as a member of the Ways and Means Committee Jenkins would be “excited” about that.
IN SETTING herself apart from her ghost opponent, Potter listed several things, including:
l She does not accept donations from private interest groups or lobbyists;
l She believes in term limits for elected officials;
l She would like to keep the Affordable Care Act but make significant changes so it is, indeed, affordable. Specifically, Potter deems it critical the ACA keep its provision of covering those with pre-existing health conditions and providing coverage for an unlimited number of years;
l Potter said the high cost of prescription drugs could be addressed by limiting the number of years a drug company can have a patent on a medication, preventing it from becoming a generic drug;
l As someone who grew up in Arizona, Potter has a clear understanding of the challenges of illegal immigrants coming across the U.S. border. “We have to protect ourselves,” Potter said, “but that does not mean exiling entire groups of people. We need to have a good vetting process and adequately fund immigration enforcement.”
l While international terrorism is a reality, Potter said she would not favor “boots on the ground” in the Middle East and would defer to the judgment of the Department of Defense in deciding such strategies.
l Having a stronger mental health system can better fight domestic terrorism, she said. “Then we would see fewer people resort to extreme ideologies.”
l Potter said she would have voted for the most recent farm bill put before Congress. Jenkins did not. And while it may not have been perfect for Kansas farmers, Potter said “sometimes you have to keep working for what you want.” Potter said she would like to see measures that strengthen family-owned farms as opposed to corporate agriculture and that crop insurance needs to be made more affordable.
Potter commended Jenkins’s involvement with No Labels, an organization of members of Congress who, irrespective of their political party, work to better understand each other through social gatherings.
“The gridlock and divisiveness in Washington, D.C. has been a total waste of taxpayer money,” Potter said.
