Tiahrt Reflections

Volunteering for the Todd Tiahrt for U.S. Senate campaign this summer has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had.

We started out last night winning. In fact, we were leading Mr. Moran for around half the evening. All of our numbers looked fantastic. We soundly won the Third and Fourth Congressional Districts – picking up the two most populous counties in Kansas, Sedgwick, the home of Wichita, and Johnson, of the Kansas City area. We even pulled in highly respectable numbers in Moran’s own First District.

That brought the race down to the Second District. In Southeast Kansas, where Michelle Hucke, Jarrod Mendicki, and I worked, we blew our vote target numbers out of the water.

Unfortunately, Shawnee County, the home of Topeka and also part of the Second District, went to Moran, and at that point, we no longer had a path to victory.

I’m not going to offer an explanation as to why we lost by a measly 4%, simply because I don’t think there is one. We ran a truly clean, grassroots-driven, and issues-based campaign. Unlike Moran, we didn’t attack family or send out misleading mailers; we simply pointed out his mistakes with well-documented votes from public record. If there’s any explanation, is that Jerry Moran doesn’t speak the truth and the voters, unfortunately, believed him.

Moran stretched when it came to his own record. It’s no wonder Moran and Tiahrt looked so close on paper – Moran basically ran using Todd’s record.

Heart-breakingly, sometimes corrupt politicians win.

Listening to Congressman Tiahrt’s concession speech last night was one of the toughest and most gut-wrenching things I’ve ever done, but I can tell you this: I’ve never been more proud in my life.

When I listened to Todd, I saw a humble, unassuming, and gracious man – the same one I’ve seen every other time I’ve talked with him. He was disappointed, as all of us were, but he held his head high and spoke while looking us directly in the eyes.

It’s sickening, because the right man did not win last night. The right man – the one with an incredible sense of duty, integrity, and honesty – was standing with his wife and two of his children on a stage at the Airport Hilton in Wichita, KS.

I have never believed in a candidate like I believe in Todd Tiahrt.

We may not have won the primary last night, but I wouldn’t trade this summer for anything in the world. It’s impossible to describe in words how thankful I am for the incredible things I’ve learned and, most importantly, for the amazing people I’ve met. I look on many of them as my new extended family.

It’s hard to let go of an idea – of a campaign – you believe in and have dedicated hundreds of hours to.

We had the right candidate. Todd IS the right man for the job. It just didn’t happen – from the way the numbers looked early-on, the only plausible explanantion is that God has a much better plan for Todd Tiahrt than the U.S. Senate.

As for party unity? I will never vote for the Democrat, but there’s about zero chance of me voting for Jerry Moran. Besides, what’s the difference between him and Lisa Johnston? Not much.

We ran a good race, but sometimes the good guys don’t win, and sometimes we can’t explain it, gut-wrenching as it may be.

Please continue to keep the Tiahrt family, the State of Kansas, and our nation in your prayers. Despite this devestating setback, we will succeed in restoring our nation.

Tags: Jarrod Mendicki, Michelle Hucke, Tiahrt, Todd Tiahrt, U.S. Senate