David Haley: My Choice for Democrat in U.S. Senate Primary
By Marty Keenan, June 8, 2010
GREAT BEND, Kan. - The fact that four Kansas Democrats are competing this year for a chance to run for a U.S. Senate slot is encouraging. Kansas hasn't sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate in over 70 years, and the number of Democrats who want a shot at this is a sign of a growing, vibrant and optimistic party. The four candidates: David Haley, Charles Schollenberger, Lisa Johnston and Robert Conroy would all acquit themselves well in the general election.
But Haley is the only candidate who currently serves in elective office. He's a fantastic public speaker. He has experience in running a statewide campaign. He has paid his dues to the Kansas Democratic Party.
Haley is not just the only candidate to hold political office, he's a State Senator. And that's a big deal. There are only 40 State Senators in Kansas, as opposed to 125 members of the Kansas House of Representatives. The title of "state senator" is shorthand for political success, a proven commodity. U.S. Senator Scott Brown, who snared Ted Kennedy's Senate seat from the Democrats in Massachusetts, was a state senator. And that gave him credibility.
And he would help energize Kansas Democrats most faithful constituency: the African-American community. Haley's family name (he's the nephew of "Roots" author Alex Haley) would be sure to snare some national attention if he becomes the nominee. Kansas nominating an African-American to replace Sam Brownback? Now that's a good story.
But I have a personal reason for supporting Senator Haley. You see, loyalty and friendship are #1 with me. Maybe it's a blind spot I have. But in 2001, when I organized a film festival for Oscar Micheaux, the first African-American movie maker, who is buried in Great Bend, Senator David Haley was there for me.
Senator Haley not only traveled to Great Bend to speak at the event in 2001, he introduced a Senate resolution honoring Oscar Micheaux. Some of Oscar Micheaux's cousins and I got to sit in the State Senate chambers when the resolution was introduced.
Our efforts to honor Micheaux must have paid off. This month the U.S. Postal Service is rolling out the Oscar Micheaux Black Heritage Series Stamp, with a special ceremony in Great Bend and other places, like Brooklyn, Atlanta and other cities around the country.
When my mother died unexpectedly on May 27, 2002, David Haley contacted me. I was floored. "How the did you find out about this?" I asked. "Marty, I always read the obituaries, ALWAYS," he said. He offered words of comfort to me in a difficult time.
Christian musician Dallas Holm once said: "A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument." And many might argue with me about whether Haley is the best nominee. But, you see, I've had personal experiences with Haley that cause me to favor him. Politics is about people, about helping those who have been there for you. It's always been that way.
But Democrats throughout the state don't need a personal reason to vote for Haley. They should vote for him because he'd be the best nominee for the party in November.
First, Haley has paid his dues. In 2002 when Kathleen Sebelius was running for her first term as governor, the Kansas Democratic Party basically drafted David Haley to run for secretary of state. Haley didn't win, but his presence on the ticket helped energize the African-American constituency statewide, and they went to the polls and helped Sebelius become Governor.
Haley ran again for secretary of state in 2006, this time on his own volition. Although Haley lost again to popular Republican incumbent Ron Thornburgh, Governor Sebelius was reelected by a larger margin in 2006 than she got in 2002, plus Democrat Paul Morrison ousted Republican Attorney General Phill Kline by a comfortable margin. Also, Democrat Nancy Boyda upset incumbent Congressman Jim Ryan. It would be hard to argue that Haley on the ticket did anything but help other Democrats in both 2002 and 2006. Kansas hasn't elected a Democrat for Secretary of State since 1948, but at least Haley tried.
Former State Senator Billy McCray was the first African-American to run for statewide office in 1982. He ran for secretary of state, at the request of Democratic Governor John Carlin, who was running for reelection that year. McCray ran a good campaign. Although he lost, he knew he helped turn out the African-American votes for the party.
I know and respect both Haley and McCray, and they ran for statewide office because they wanted to win and be secretary of state. But in the back of their minds, surely they suspected they were, at some level, being "used" by the Kansas Democratic Party to spike black turnout on election day.
I abhor the "use" of African-American candidates simply as a tool to help white Democrats turn out the black community on election day.
I want black candidates to run to WIN, and to serve. And Haley wants to be a U.S. senator, and he would be a good one.
This year, the state Democratic establishment is not pushing Haley to run. But of all the candidates, he's the one who has paid his dues. Serving in the legislature, attending hundreds of rubber chicken Democrat dinners, running for secretary of state. Haley has paid his dues in a thousand ways.
A Democrat winning a U.S. Senate race in Kansas is a long shot. But whoever survives the Republican primary (Moran or Tiahrt) will have an empty campaign kitty on August 3, and both have run so far to the right as to scare many Kansas voters.
"Hope Springs Eternal" with Kansas Democrats, and David Haley is getting my vote on August 3. He's been there for me. But most of all, he's paid his dues.
David Haley explains why he voted against criminalizing K2 synthetic weed
By Peter Rugg, Tuesday, Feb. 23 2010
Kansas legislator's didn't wait for anything as trivial as scientific evidence before banning synthetic cannabinoids JWH-073 and JWH-018 -- the chemicals that give K2 its ability to mimic the effects of real weed -- the subjects of last week's Pitch feature story, "Fake Reefer Madness."
Sure some scientists think the synthetics could be used in research for diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, but why risk it when people might be using it to laugh for 20 minutes?
Only one Kansas senator voted against the legislation, KCK's David Haley.
"I think I'm the only one left with any common sense in all the hysteria," Haley told The Pitch. "To have a bill introduced on the floor and passed within three hours of it's introduction .. to pass it on the same day with no discussion? I've never seen that. Ever."
The bill was the Kansas Senate's first act of legislation this session. Considering the $400 million budget shortfall Kansas faces, it's not like they don't have more important things to consider. Haley doubts he was the only one to question the bill's necessity.
"I do think some senators agree that it's not the best use of time. But, they do feel that if they vote against it, if they ask for study, it's going to hurt them in their districts. You can't vote for a sensible drug policy without worrying about what's going to happen when you're up for re-election."
Haley brings campaign to Cowley County
By David Allen Seaton, Saturday, June 26, 2010
He may be from Kansas City, but he’s getting in touch with rural Kansas, too.
That was the message from David Haley, a Democrat running for United States Senate, as he toured a manufacturing plant in Cowley County.
“This is a process for me to understand the totality of what is a great state,” Haley said before touring Western Industries Inc., a plastics blow-molding plant at Strother Field.
The state senator from Kansas City, Kan., said he had toured a cement plant in Chanute earlier in the week.
Economic development tops his agenda as he runs in the Democratic primary against four other candidates, Haley said.
Haley earns endorsement of Senate Democratic Leader
By Nick Sloan on June 21, 2010
Kansas Sen. David Haley earned an important endorsement today in his efforts to claim the Democratic Party's nomination for this fall's U.S. Senate race.
Kansas Senate Democratic Leader Anthony Hensley of Topeka, Kan., endorsed Haley today.
Haley, the long-time member of the Kansas Senate and Kansas House of Representatives from Wyandotte County, is considered by some as the favorite to win the nomination.
In Haley, Hensley sees a "well-known and financially viable candidate."
"It will take a well-known and financially viable candidate to beat the Kansas Republican Party’s nominee for U.S. Senate in November," Hensley said.
“That’s why, on August 3rd, Democrats should elect State Senator David Haley as their candidate for U.S. Senate.
"For the past 16 years, David has served the people of Wyandotte County in both the Kansas House of Representative and Kansas Senate," Hensley continued. "With an objective ear, a reflective mind and an active voice, he has worked tirelessly to represent the values and principles important to the State of Kansas."
If Haley prevails in the primary, he'll battle it out with either U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) or U.S. Rep Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) to replace U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS).
Brownback decided to run for Kansas governor this fall. |
