Kansas Helen Podcast
TJ Campsey - Kansas House District 10 - Full Conversation
Description
TJ Campsey is running for Kansas House District 10 in the August 4 Democratic primary. The southeastern Lawrence district offers fertile ground for his bold working-class message. Campsey rejects weak solutions and refuses to wait for moderate Republicans to agree. He believes this political moment demands something stronger. Campsey argues that Democrats should not weaken their demands to appeal to moderates. He points to socialist and left candidates winning across the country as evidence that voters want working-class politics. He also believes Democratic leaders missed the opportunity created by Bernie Sanders and pulled the party back toward a status quo that continues to fail working people. His campaign looks beyond one candidate and one election. Campsey wants Democrats to organize in places where the party rarely competes. Even without strong Democratic infrastructure, those districts may have union members, NAACP members, League of Women Voters members, progressive organizations, and pro-democracy groups ready to build local power. Volunteers drive Campsey’s campaign. His team recorded 4,000 door knocks, including repeat visits to Democratic primary voters. At least six volunteers regularly canvassed on weekends, while Campsey knocked doors four or five times a week. Voters raised concerns about housing, food costs, healthcare, data centers, and the constitutional amendment on the August 4 ballot. Campsey said District 10 voters also oppose attacks on democratic rights, human rights, and trans Kansans. Lawrence residents have repeatedly joined No Kings, Hands Off, May Day, and International Workers Day rallies. Campsey decided to run because he believes elected leaders should stand with those movements instead of waiting until resistance becomes politically convenient. He also criticized the incumbent’s path to office. Although she has served only since 2024, Campsey noted that she spent much of her previous career as a Topeka lobbyist. He argued that political connections and a weakly contested race helped her reach office. In his view, this primary represents her first real electoral test. Campsey rejects the idea that anyone owns a public office. The seat belongs to District 10 voters, and competitive races force candidates to make their case. Without challengers, safe seats can produce comfort, entitlement, and complacency. His working-class agenda includes a Democratic Bill of Rights, a Labor Bill of Rights, and a public housing trust. Campsey does not want Democrats to introduce bills, lose to the Republican majority, and return home saying they tried. He wants to build a multiracial, multigenerational, and gender-diverse coalition capable of pressuring lawmakers across Kansas. Campsey believes District 10 can “raise the banner” for the rest of the state. His campaign’s Free State message draws from Bleeding Kansas and the populist movement. He argues that organized Kansans have shaped national politics before and can do it again. Campsey also believes elected officials should not block constituents who raise legitimate questions or criticism. Public officials must distinguish bad-faith trolls from people seeking answers. Social media may reward conflict, but elected leaders still owe their constituents good-faith engagement. He sees an opportunity to break the Republican supermajority as divisions weaken the MAGA coalition, particularly since the Iran war began. However, Campsey warned that dissatisfaction alone will not create change. Republicans continue trying to protect their power through mid-decade redistricting and other measures. Democrats must turn public frustration into organized action. That work includes rebuilding the party from the precinct level. Campsey said too many people consume politics through television, podcasts, and social media instead of participating. He supports filling precinct committee positions, building relationships between elections, and organizing communities from the bottom up. He points to the Tea Party’s takeover of precinct, county, and state party structures as proof that grassroots organizing can reshape political power. Kansas voters have already shown that the state can defy national expectations. In 2022, they rejected the abortion amendment after Roe fell. Campsey connects that vote to a longer history that includes Bleeding Kansas, Brown v. Board of Education, prohibition, Carry Nation, and the Brownback experiment. Kansas has often shown the country what comes next. He wants it to lead for the right reasons. Campsey described the Statehouse as the people’s house and called for balance and respect in the building. He also warned that placing major constitutional questions on primary ballots can backfire when voters understand what is at stake, as it did with the abortion amendment. He wants government to include the people affected by its decisions. Officials often reorganize departments, move funding, or write policies without consulting the workers and communities who understand the consequences. Campsey wants workers, union members, and affected communities involved from the beginning. He values policy expertise but rejects using jargon and professional credentials to keep regular people outside government. Experts can explain how policy works, but working people must help decide what government does. The Legislature needs people who understand how its decisions shape everyday life. Campsey acknowledged that governing requires compromise, but he drew a firm line at compromising core values. He welcomed accountability and said voters should hold his feet to the fire. That commitment reflects his broader argument that public office belongs to the people, not the politicians who hold it. Campsey closed by describing his love for Kansas, its history, and its overlooked beauty. He believes the state can make history again by organizing working people, challenging complacency, breaking one-party control, and building a government that answers to its residents. The conversation presented Campsey as a left-wing candidate focused on practical organizing. His campaign combines bold proposals with door knocking, volunteer recruitment, community partnerships, precinct organizing, and direct challenges to entrenched power. His message is simple: the working class will fight when given something real to fight for, and District 10 can help lead that fight. Get full access to Kansas Helen at kansashelen.substack.com/subscribe [https://kansashelen.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]
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