It's no secret among Libertarians in Kansas that the 2018 governor's race has a hot candidate, Jeff Caldwell, II. Caldwell has a bold campaign that is gaining traction not only in Kansas, but is catching the attention of people all across the Midwest and even the nation. His freedom loving platform attracts people from all walks of life, especially those who are politically unaffiliated.
Jeff Caldwell, II won the nomination of the KS Libertarian party in April of 2018 following an interesting public debate between two other Libertarian contenders. Since the nomination, Caldwell has been promoting his campaign on social media where it has spread like wildfire, with his first post following the nomination currently sitting at over half a million views and over 7,000 shares, just one month later! Why is Caldwell so popular? For starters, Jeff has declared he wants to not only cut taxes for Kansans, but also reduce state government spending. But his keystone issue is the legalization of cannabis. Like elsewhere in the US, this is a highly contentious issue. Caldwell sites sources that show the majority of Kansans want marijuana to be legal, but the legislature stands in the way. The sale of CBD oil (the extract of cannabis with the intoxicating properties removed) is even under threat of being illegal in Kansas. People all over the country with medical conditions that can be alleviated with the use of cannabis or CBD oil are reaching out to Jeff with their stories of injustice of being denied access to their personal choices in healthcare and pledging their fervent support of his campaign.
Aside from the pot issues, Jeff Caldwell is also running on platform planks to reduce several kinds of taxes. Kansas has unusually high taxes on key consumable resources like food, water and gasoline. This creates issues for Kansas businesses, especially in the most populated area of Kansas, the Kansas City metro area, which shares a border with Missouri. Because taxes in Missouri are lower on these products, people from Kansas frequently drive over the state line to grocery shop and fill up their gas tanks, taking away revenue from Kansas stores. Another tax issue important to Jeff is eliminating income tax on tips for service workers such as waitstaff. He claims the state will be stronger when these private citizens can pocket more of their tips to use for their education, purchasing a home or other worthwhile pursuits to improve their lives.
To see Jeff Caldwell's full platform, check out his [list of planks] (https://www.caldwellforkansas.com/platform).
A major difficulty facing Caldwell's campaign is access to debates and forums covered by the media that are typically dominated by major, two-party candidates. Around the time of his nomination as the Libertarian candidate for governor, Jeff was denied access to an important governor candidate forum at the University of Kansas despite having applied well in advance and keeping in close contact with the forum's student organizers. Just days before the forum, Caldwell was told there was a new requirement that any candidates joining the forum must prove they have over $20,000 in campaign contributions. Although Jeff is a third party candidate, he had actually raised close to this limit, however he was nonetheless denied permission to appear in the forum. He and his campaign team attended the forum anyway, staging a protest outside the event as well as speaking with supporters afterwards, some of which who had driven long distances to see Jeff, who expressed their disappointment of Jeff being denied access to the forum. Several reporters for local news outlets also spoke with Jeff at this event and published information about his exclusion the following day.
Currently, the next big hurdle Caldwell's campaign must overcome is clearing $50,000 in campaign contributions in order to qualify for a large, candidate forum next month which will be televised around the state. Although these campaign contribution requirements seem unfair, Jeff and his campaign team are committed to showing those in the two-party system that he is just as strong a contender for the governorship as those who traditionally get the most financial contributions. If you are moved to support Jeff Caldwell in reaching his goal to enter this forum, please check out his donation page [here](It's no secret among Libertarians in Kansas that the 2018 governor's race has a hot candidate, Jeff Caldwell, II. Caldwell has a bold campaign that is gaining traction not only in Kansas, but is catching the attention of people all across the Midwest and even the nation. His freedom loving platform attracts people from all walks of life, especially those who are politically unaffiliated.
His next hurdle is clearing $50,000 in campaign contributions, which is a requirement for entering a gubernatorial candidate forum that will be televised across the state of Kansas next month. Caldwell is dedicated to showing the two-party political system of Kansas that he is not backing down and has what it takes to win the support of the people who desperately want a candidate who will stand up for their rights. If you are moved to contribute to this worthy goal, please check out Jeff's page here.
We expect to see great things from Jeff Caldwell, II and the people of Kansas are ready for a bold and determined governor like him!