Cole Epley - KS 4th Congressional District - Complete Conversation
Cole Epley is running for Kansas’ 4th Congressional District in the August 4th Democratic Primary.
Learn more about Cole Epley here:
(https://www.epleyforcongress.com/
In this full conversation, Epley discusses the launch of his campaign, getting officially on the ballot, and why he chose to run for Congress instead of pursuing a Kansas House race. He explains that his background began in music education, but that his work eventually moved into foster care social work, child advocacy, case coordination, and supporting teenagers who had experienced trafficking or were at risk of being trafficked. He also talks about working with children with severe autism and how that work shaped the issues he now brings into the campaign.
Epley discusses his top priorities, including universal healthcare, immigration reform, abolishing ICE, and raising taxes on billionaires and large corporations to help build stronger public systems. He connects healthcare policy to his own family experience, sharing that his father died after losing insurance during a short gap after retirement from military service. He talks about his anger toward insurance companies, the role of profit in healthcare, and why he believes the country cannot simply repeat a weaker version of the Affordable Care Act.
The conversation also covers Kansas voters, unaffiliated voters, the Democratic primary, and the challenge of running in a traditionally Republican district. Epley talks about why he believes candidates cannot beat Ron Estes by trying to outspend him, and instead argues for organizing, volunteers, door knocking, and mobilizing voters who have felt ignored or left out of politics. He also discusses running as a progressive candidate, saying that his support for universal healthcare, abolishing ICE, immigration reform, and ending the violence in Gaza are not just campaign positions but beliefs he held before running.
A major part of the conversation focuses on foster care reform. Epley explains his experience with foster youth, especially teenagers aging out of the system, and discusses the lack of consistent rights and protections for foster children across the country. He talks about writing a draft bill to create federal minimum standards for foster youth rights, including stronger protections that states would have to meet. The discussion includes how some states treat foster parent rights and foster youth rights differently, how children can be treated like property within systems, and why child welfare should be centered on the needs and rights of children.
Epley and Helen also discuss education, public schools, teacher shortages, Job Corps, technical education, associate’s degrees, and the importance of making education more accessible and practical. Epley talks about how Job Corps provided a path for young people, including foster youth and young adults facing homelessness, to learn a trade and build a future. The conversation also covers the need for better public school funding, stronger support for teachers, and plain-language communication so voters can understand policy without needing specialized political knowledge.
The interview also includes Epley’s thoughts on gun safety and state violence. He says he supports stronger gun safety policy, especially around safe storage, while also recognizing concerns about state-sponsored violence and the role firearms play in discussions about government power. The conversation focuses on school shootings, children accessing unsecured guns, safe storage requirements, and the need for policies that actually reduce harm rather than simply creating paperwork.
Toward the end of the conversation, Epley discusses Palestine, anti-Zionism, anti-Semitism, and the importance of separating criticism of a government from hatred toward a people. He says his concern is with the actions of Netanyahu, the Israeli government, and the IDF, not Jewish people or Israeli citizens as a whole. He talks about wanting to avoid bad-faith framing and says his position comes from not wanting people to die for no reason.
Overall, the full interview covers Epley’s personal background, professional experience, campaign strategy, and policy priorities. It shows how his campaign connects healthcare, immigration, foster care, education, labor, gun safety, and foreign policy to a broader argument about public systems, accountability, and whether government is serving ordinary people or protecting existing power.
See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more about the Kansas’ 4th Congressional District Democratic primary here:
[https://kansashelen.substack.com](https://kansashelen.substack.com)
You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or listen on the Kansas Helen Podcast on Apple and Spotify.
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