SALINA, Kansas – District 1 Congressional candidates are looking forward to November. Republican Tim Huelskamp will match up against Democrat Alan Jilka and both candidates say they will have uphill battles in a very turbulent field.
Republican Tim Huelskamp was in Topeka Wednesday, pledging to move ahead and defeat the Democrats in Washington.
“It's time for a conservative change in Washington and we're going to deliver that this fall and next year in Washington,” he said.
But to do that he’ll have to get by one Democrat here in Kansas – his new challenger, former Salina Mayor Alan Jilka, who campaigned throughout the state Wednesday starting in Hays and ending in Salina.
"We have real problems that we need to get to work on, and that's why I'd go to Washington,” Jilka said.
But Jilka can expect his challenger to lump the skeletons of the Democratic Party on his campaign. Huelskamp says he has an edge in the race because Kansans are fed up with the Democratic-led Congress.
"What they need is some solid conservative principles of limited government and personal responsibility,” he said.
Jilka says he will continue to meet Kansans to prove he’s new blood that Washington needs.
"We'll be reaching out to every citizen in the district, making the case that based on experience and perspective, I’m the best candidate to represent them and could be the most effective in Washington DC,” he said.
Both candidates admit that many Americans are tired with how things are going in Washington and just hope they can somehow change those views.
