Isaiah For Kansas

Labor Day means a lot here in Crawford County.

Our communities were built by working people. The story of Southeast Kansas is, in many ways, the story of working people from around the world coming here in search of something better.

That history is why we celebrate Little Balkans Days. Generations ago, immigrants from Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Italy, and elsewhere came to the coalfields of Southeast Kansas. They left behind their homes because they believed that if they worked hard enough, they could build a better life for their children. They went into some of the most dangerous workplaces imaginable. They spent long hours underground, breathing coal dust and risking their lives for wages that were often barely enough to keep a family fed. And they learned a lesson that working people have had to learn again and again:

United we bargain. Divided we beg.

When we stand alone, those at the top hold all the power. When we stand together and fight for one another, we can take that power back and win real change.

The fight was brutal. In 1888, 44 miners were killed in the Frontenac mine disaster. Workers were threatened, strikebreakers were brought in, and powerful mining companies fought organized labor at every turn.

And in 1921, when union leaders were jailed, and miners' right to strike was under attack, thousands of wives, daughters, sisters, and mothers from our coal camps marched from mine to mine in what became known as the Amazon Army. They stood up to a state government that was bought and paid for by the coal companies. In response, the state sent in the National Guard.

Our history matters because so much of what we now take for granted was once considered radical.

The weekend. The 40-hour work week. Overtime pay. Minimum wage. Workplace safety. The right to organize.

None of these were gifts from corporate America. These are victories won by generations of workers who organized, marched, went on strike, and sacrificed for one another. Some gave their lives for the rights we have today.

And that fight isn’t over.

Today, corporations still wield enormous power over our government and our workplaces. Too many working people are putting in longer hours while struggling to pay the bills, while the rich have never been richer.

If we want to take that power back and build an economy that works for working people, we have to do what generations before us did: stand together.

I'm a proud union worker of the UFCW Local 2, and I'm proud to come from a community with such a powerful labor history. We stand on the shoulders of our ancestors who refused to believe that poverty and exploitation were simply the way things had to be.

We have a responsibility to carry that tradition forward and fight for good jobs, fair wages, strong unions, and the dignity every working person deserves.

Happy Labor Day. Solidarity forever.

GOOOOOO-RILLAS!!!!!!

Come stop by our tent at the PSU football game against Emporia State!

We will be here until kick off at 7pm! We have free water and snacks! 🏈🦍

Over the last 20 years, women have become twice as likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum in Kansas. And three-fourths of those deaths are preventable.

This is a crisis that demands the full attention of our state government.
Mothers are dying because they can’t get the care they need. Rural hospitals are closing maternity wards. Families are struggling to afford basic healthcare. And what has the Kansas Legislature done?

They’ve continued protecting the profits of the private healthcare industry while our communities lose access to care.

Expanding Medicaid saves lives. It helps people get the care they need, keeps rural hospitals open, and makes sure families aren’t forced to choose between healthcare and paying their bills.

When legislators choose corporate tax breaks over funding hospitals, maternal care, rural clinics, and the healthcare infrastructure our communities desperately need, they are making a choice.

When those choices put wealthy corporations and well-connected donors ahead of Kansas families, we have every right to ask: Who is this government actually working for?

No mother should have to worry that giving birth could leave her family without her. No parent should have to choose between paying the bills and getting the healthcare they need. And no Kansas community should have to watch its hospital close while politicians in Topeka celebrate giving themselves another raise.

We need leaders who put the health of working people ahead of corporate profits.

There is absolutely no excuse for Kansas continuing to reject an expansion of KanCare.

I’m running for State House because I’m tired of watching politicians in Topeka put corporate profits ahead of working people.

Healthcare should be about keeping people alive, not keeping insurance companies and hospital executives rich.

Kansas report outlines strategies for closing gaps, transforming maternal healthcare • Kansas Reflector A report on Kansas' struggle to deliver maternal healthcare seeks financial and policy reform to bring services to underserved urban and rural areas.

Private equity is a cancer on our already broken healthcare system.

These predatory Wall Street firms buy struggling hospitals and healthcare facilities, scrap them for parts, and when they can’t squeeze out any more money, they close them down and move on to their next victim.

They aren’t thinking about the patients who depend on these hospitals. They aren’t thinking about the healthcare workers who keep them running. They’re thinking about their bottom line.

We’ve already seen the consequences: higher healthcare costs, increases in patient deaths and hospitals and essential healthcare services disappearing from communities that need them most.

Kansas needs to act. We need legislation that protects our hospitals from predatory private equity and puts patients and communities before corporate profits.

As your next elected representative, I will fight for our hospitals, protect them from predatory private equity, and expand KanCare to make healthcare more affordable for working Kansans.

As states tighten oversight, private equity’s healthcare deals decline • Kansas Reflector New state oversight laws are pumping the brakes on private equity’s push into healthcare, according to new data.

Join us Sunday, September 13th from 2-4 PM at Harlen’s Venue to meet candidates Isaiah Harris and Cindy Holscher for Kansas!

Everyone is welcome! Enjoy catering from The Mall Deli, get to know Isaiah and Cindy, and ask them the questions that matters most to you during our Q&A.

Harlen’s Venue | 206 N Locust St, Pittsburg, KS

📣 CALLING ALL SUPPORTERS!📣

There are just 64 days until November 3rd, and we’re building a grassroots campaign to win this race. But we can’t do it without you.

So far, we’ve:
💰 Raised $16,000+ from 140 individual donors
🚪 Knocked 1,500+ doors
📞 Called 1,000+ voters
🙋‍♀️ Had 25+ volunteers knock doors and make calls

This campaign is powered by working people in Southeast Kansas who believe we deserve better representation in Topeka.

Whether you can knock doors, make phone calls, put up a yard sign, or chip in a few dollars, there’s a place for you in this campaign.

Donate: https://secure.actblue.com/donate/isaiahforkansas

Volunteer: https://forms.gle/DHhEMCSUVDqcUdTw8

Donate to Isaiah Harris Show your support with a contribution.

I am proud to announce that our campaign has been endorsed by the Kansas Cannabis Justice Coalition!

70% of Kansans support legalizing cannabis for medical use, and nearly 60% support legalizing recreational use.

Just 10 minutes from District 3, Kansans can legally purchase cannabis in Missouri. We’re watching jobs, businesses, and millions in potential tax dollars cross the state line.

I want to put those dollars to work for our children.

Kansas schools have been chronically underfunded since the disastrous Brownback administration. Our children are the future, and we need to be willing to look at new ideas and creative solutions to give them the education they deserve.

We should legalize, strongly regulate, and tax ma*****na, with the revenue specifically earmarked for public education.

Thank you Cannabis Justice Coalition for your endorsement!

There’s always something special about seeing our community come together, and Paint the Town Red is another great example of what makes Pittsburg such a wonderful place to live.

I had a great time yesterday talking with residents about the issues that matter most to them.

Unsurprisingly, one issue came up over and over again: affordability.

From the rising cost of gas due to the disastrous war in Iran, to the ever-increasing cost of health insurance and property taxes, working people are being squeezed from every direction.

Kansas needs a government that is laser-focused on making life more affordable for the working class, not giving handouts to massive corporations.

That’s the kind of government I am fighting for: one that puts working people first and makes sure that if you work hard, you can afford to build a good life here in the great state of Kansas.

As a graduate of Pittsburg State University, the opportunities that this institution offers to our community make me proud to be a gorilla.

PSU has been an important part our town's culture, from its inception in 1903 as a teacher's college to the regional powerhouse of innovation and opportunity that it is today.

I am honored to be a part of that history, and will be celebrating alongside our incredible community members downtown this evening during Paint the Town Red! We will have a tent for our campaign set up on the East side of 6th and Broadway, from 6pm-8pm.

Stop by and say hi! Whether you're a supporter or someone who has questions/concerns, I'd love to hear from you! See you there!

OAGAAG!

Thank you to everyone who answered our call to show up to the Pittsburg City Commission meeting and defend our right to privacy. As AI surveillance technology becomes more common, we cannot afford to simply sit back and allow private companies to decide how much of our lives should be monitored.

Our communities belong to the people who live in them, and we have a right to demand accountability.
We shouldn’t forget that this same City Commission that voted down the Wisesight Inc. contract also voted unanimously to allow Flock cameras to invade our community. If we are serious about protecting privacy, accountability, and the rights of ordinary people, then we have to apply those principles consistently.

We believe public safety should never come at the expense of our civil liberties. We believe our city government should answer to the people, not AI surveillance companies. And we believe Pittsburg residents have every right to demand transparency and a real say in decisions that affect our privacy and our freedom.

The fight does not end with one vote. Let’s keep organizing, keep showing up, and keep making our voices impossible to ignore.
Tell the City Commission: Pittsburg belongs to its people, not surveillance companies.

Get Flock out of Pittsburg.