Paul Buskirk - Ballotpedia

Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.

From Ballotpedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Paul Buskirk (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Kansas' 1st Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Buskirk completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Paul Buskirk was born in Holdrege, Nebraska. Buskirk's career experience includes working as a educator. He earned a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree from the University of Kansas in 1983 and 1989, respectively.^[1]

Elections

2024

See also: Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2024

Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)

Kansas' 1st Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Kansas District 1

Incumbent Tracey Mann defeated Paul Buskirk in the general election for U.S. House Kansas District 1 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tracey Mann (R)	69.1	210,493
		Paul Buskirk (D)	30.9	93,965

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 304,458
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1

Paul Buskirk advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Buskirk	100.0	15,240

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 15,240
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1

Incumbent Tracey Mann defeated Eric Bloom in the Republican primary for U.S. House Kansas District 1 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Tracey Mann	87.5	57,219
	Submit photo	Eric Bloom	12.5	8,148

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,367
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Buskirk in this election.

2022

See also: United States Senate election in Kansas, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Kansas

Incumbent Jerry Moran defeated Mark R. Holland and David Graham in the general election for U.S. Senate Kansas on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jerry Moran (R)	60.0	602,976
		Mark R. Holland (D)	37.0	372,214
		David Graham (L)	3.0	29,766

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,004,956
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Kansas

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Kansas on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mark R. Holland	38.1	101,429
		Paul Buskirk	20.2	53,750
		Patrick Wiesner	17.6	47,034
	Submit photo	Mike Andra	12.6	33,464
		Robert Klingenberg	8.0	21,413
		Michael Soetaert	3.6	9,464

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 266,554
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Kansas

Incumbent Jerry Moran defeated Joan Farr in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Kansas on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jerry Moran	80.5	383,332
		Joan Farr	19.5	93,016

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 476,348
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Kansas

David Graham advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Kansas on April 23, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		David Graham (L)

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Paul Buskirk completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Buskirk's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in a small rural town in south central Nebraska. Lived in western Colorado for junior high and then high school in Derby Kansas. Undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Kansas.

For nearly 40 years I have worked in the field of academic support - working with high school and college students to ensure that they completed their degrees and were prepared for life after school.

My bride and I have been married for 31 years and we have two amazing adult daughters.

Why I am running for public office?

Today our country is being pulled at the edges by voices of extremism – on all sides. These voices are loud. So loud at times that we may be tempted to believe they represent the majority. But they do not. The majority of Americans – and specifically many Kansans – want to make a living for ourselves and create a future for our children. We want our government to get back to its job of serving the people. We want our elected officials to quit arguing over ideology and party affiliation and start representing us and addressing our needs.

The 1st District of Kansas is comprised of 60 counties across 90,000 square miles. The diversity within our district is unique: diversity in culture; in language; in industry; in education and more. This district - Our district - has the opportunity to be a shining example to our country how we can push aside these voices of extremism and beginning working together to meet the needs of our communities.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Arrogance of Government. Our elected and appointed officials at the federal level are obsessed with adhering to their ideology and political party affiliation. They need to be reminded that government exists to serve and refocus their attention on helping meet the needs of those who elected them.
Unity. The voices of extremism are so loud. We must push aside these voices - which are in the minority. Those of us in the middle need to work together to help our families make a living for themselves and a future for our children.
Common needs and strengths within our District.
The communities in our 1st Congressional District in Kansas have unique identities. And they have common needs: expanded rural medical facilities; roads and highway improvements to support the economic opportunities; more teachers to educate our children.
These communities have a wealth of common strengths. The people of our district are proud of our history, our cultures, and our traditions. We want to establish a thriving legacy of success for our children.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Agriculture and completing the long-overdue Farm Bill to serve our farmers and ranchers.

Highways and transportation to serve our communities.

Public education to prepare our youth for the next generation of success.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job, in high school, was at the McDonald's restaurant just up the road from my high school. My high school debate partner worked at this store and encouraged me to apply when I turned 16 in the summer of 1977.

My supervisor set me up at the french fry station my first day. Grab the bag of frozen fries from the cooler; load them into the frying baskets; drop the baskets into the hot oil; set the timer; when the beeper sounded, pull the basket out; pour the hot fries into the warming tray; salt liberally; and then scoop into serving containers.

Six hours I worked the fry station that first day. I went home smelling like a french fry.

The next day I went back to work eager to learn something new! And?....

Two full weeks I worked the french fry station! I couldn't eat a french fry for 6 months.

While my introduction to this first job was memorable, this four-year experience (high school and then part-time in college) carved deep impressions for me: the value of work; being on time; respect for chain of command; getting along with co-workers from all walks of life.

In my travels throughout the 1st District of Kansas I regularly stop at McDonald's for my favorite Diet Coke and an opportunity to visit with the hard-working people behind the counter.

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Our country must work to find what we truly have in common. It is an easy path to divide -- it is a truly burdensome, but necessary journey to unite.

The message in the Pledge of Allegiance will guide our journey as a country: "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

President Lincoln quoted the Bible when he said “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” America has many voices. We must unite in order to create a legacy for our children.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

In the Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln referenced Government as "of the People, by the People, and for the People." Serving the people by helping meet their needs is the essence of government.

Compromise of a position or a goal while keeping steadfast to character and integrity must be at the core of government.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Buskirk’s campaign website stated the following:

“	WHAT I BELEIVE Abortion My greatest and most passionate hope is that any woman who is considering an abortion would invest heartfelt and thought-filled consideration into available alternatives. There are so many families who are ready to adopt a child. However, I believe that if a woman does wish to proceed with an abortion, she should have every right to do so, legally. Reproductive rights are human rights. Such decisions are only the business of the woman, her family, her physician, and her pastor. Gun Violence Common sense. Our Founding Fathers established the 2nd Amendment to the new Constitution in the Bill of Rights in response to the People's conviction that this new Government must protect their Rights. I believe that these same Founders expected – and embraced – that our citizens would understand that. However, I believe that with Rights come Responsibilities. I believe the Founders would embrace the idea that waiting periods make sense. Background checks make sense. Laws to keep guns out of the hands of those who would harm themselves or others make sense. Keeping assault rifles in the hands of those who serve to protect us makes sense. And locking up guns to keep them out of the hands of our children absolutely makes sense. Immigration I believe that we should embrace those who wish to enter the U.S. to seek a better life for themselves and their families, or to seek protection from countries that do not respect their human rights. To achieve this, we need borders that can be monitored and properly managed. We need clear policies for these new neighbors to be able to work. And we need a streamlined and sensible path for these individuals to gain citizenship. Farm Bill The bipartisan efforts established by Senators Bob Dole and George McGovern in 1973 must be maintained. Security for our farmers and all ag producers along with support for all our Nutritional Food programs – domestic and international – are vital to the economy across the country, and particularly across many industries in Kansas. Israel/Hamas/Gaza Time for Peace. The world will forever remember the horrors committed on the Israeli people on October 7th and understand Israel's desire for retribution. But now, months and nearly 40,000 lost lives later, it is time for Peace. It is time to look forward to how these children of God – on all sides – can find ways to co-exist. Mohandas Gandi, India's great leader said about revenge, "An eye for an eye will leave the whole world blind." Ukraine America's greatest moments of history were when we battled England to gain our freedom; when we fought with ourselves to keep our unity and freedom; and when we fought with our allies because we fervently believe in freedom for all. There is every reason to believe that Russia will continue past Ukraine should it fall. Ukraine's freedom is key to Europe's freedom. America must stand by with our trusted allies once again. LGBTQ+/Gender Identity Human rights are at the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. As our culture continues to grow and evolve, we learn more about ourselves and others. Regardless of our sexuality and how we each choose to identify, our individual rights must be affirmed and actively protected. ^[2]	”
—Paul Buskirk’s campaign website (2024)^[3]

2022

Paul Buskirk completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Buskirk's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

For 37 years I have served as an educator in Kansas, working with high school and college students. I have seen first hand the incredible challenges facing our children and youth and their families. May 2nd is when the US Supreme Court decision was leaked to the media. The Life v Choice debate will go on for lifetimes. In that heated emotion, the voices of the children who are already born remain silent. I am running to stand on a larger platform with a louder voice to speak to the needs of our children. We need expanded education about and support for adoption services. Foster care systems have caring and gifted professionals but they need more help. And our young working families who are trying to keep their families together are being stretched by inflation and lack of housing. We can do better. We will do better.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

The welfare of our children and youth must be first and forefront in all our priorities.
Education. Support our teachers. Most of our children and youth's socialization occurs in school. We need to attract and keep great teachers.
End the hating. There is far more that binds us together than can ever divide our nation. United we can accomplish everything!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Children, youth, education. Every challenge we see today regarding any adult member of our society is absolutely tied to how we cared for them when they were a child. Abuse. Discrimination. Violence. Hatred. All these immense challenges we see today have roots in our children's formative years. If we want to address America's challenges, we should begin by taking care of America's children. We can do better

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Buskirk's campaign website stated the following:

“

What can we do to address the soaring cost of living?

I am not an economist and would never tell you “I know” all the answers, when in fact, I do not. I do know that during this time, when our economy is emerging from COVID-19 and re-balancing the delicate line between inflation and recession, we must watch out for the working families. Our elected leadership, at all levels, needs to specifically target these extremely needy members of our community. Subsidies; tax rebates; food pantries; civic and religious charities; all these tools must be used strategically and together to keep families intact.

Where do you stand on abortion?

My greatest and most passionate hope is that any woman who is considering an abortion would invest heartfelt and thought-filled consideration into alternatives. There are so many families who are ready to adopt a child. However, I believe that if a woman does wish to proceed with an abortion, she should have every right to do so, legally. The U.S. Constitution's bill of rights was created to protect just such personal freedom!

What would you do to address gun violence?

The 2nd amendment is deeply embedded into our country’s history. I believe that our Founding Fathers would expect that common sense would be equally embedded in our country’s current-day decision-making on this matter, but that has not always been the case. On June 25, 2022, Congress enacted a bipartisan deal that is a solid next step in addressing the ongoing issues of gun violence. We need to see the effects of this legislation before considering what further steps may very well be warranted.

Where do you stand on LGTBQ rights?

Human rights are at the foundation of the U.S. Constitution. As our culture continues to grow and evolve, we learn more about ourselves and others. Regardless of our sexuality and how we each choose to identify, our individual rights must be affirmed and actively protected.^[2]

”

—Paul Buskirk's campaign website (2022)^[4]

Campaign finance summary

Ballotpedia Logo Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Paul Buskirk campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Kansas District 1	Lost general	$63,182	$62,835
2022	U.S. Senate Kansas	Lost primary	$13,856	$13,856
Grand total			$77,037	$76,691
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Elections Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

U.S. House Kansas District 1

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on March 11, 2024
↑ ^2.0 ^2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Paul Buskirk’s campaign website, “What I Believe,” accessed July 25, 2024
↑ Buskirk US Senate, “About Paul,” accessed July 27, 2022

Kansas' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Roger Marshall (R)

Jerry Moran (R)

Representatives

District 1

Tracey Mann (R)

District 2

Derek Schmidt (R)

District 3

Sharice Davids (D)

District 4

Ron Estes (R)

Republican Party (5)

Democratic Party (1)

	v • e State of Kansas Topeka (capital)
Elections	What's on my ballot? \| Elections in 2025 \| How to vote \| How to run for office \| Ballot measures
Government	Who represents me? \| U.S. President \| U.S. Congress \| Federal courts \| State executives \| State legislature \| State and local courts \| Counties \| Cities \| School districts \| Public policy

Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Paul_Buskirk&oldid=9819792"

Лучший частный хостинг