The race for 4th District Johnson County Commissioner has taken on a more personal tone with a tweet by incumbent Janeé Hanzlick calling her opponent, a scheduled speaker at a conservative rally, “an extremist.”
The “Kansas First” rally was set for September 23rd on the grounds of the Westside Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, and several well-known conservatives, including 4th District candidate Maria Holiday, were on the roster of speakers. However, adverse publicity caused church officials to cancel the venue. Lead Pastor David Shore did not respond to our request for comment; neither did the church spokesperson who confirmed the site’s cancelation. The event will be held at another location on private property.
The Commissioner’s tweet at the heart of this issue:
“By speaking at this event, my opponent makes no secret of her extremist intentions.”
We reached out to Commissioner Hanzlick for comment on her tweet and the resulting controversy, but she did not respond.
Holiday called on her opponent to focus on the issues in their race:
“This type of personal attack is what makes people hate politics. Calling people names to deflect responsibility is an old game. I believe in the people. I will trust them to decide if my message regarding transparency, controlling spending and creating a sustainable budget that ensures Johnson County is a safe place to work and live is extreme.
“Right now, families in Johnson County are struggling as a result of the decisions of my opponent. Seniors are struggling to pay the increase in property taxes. Parents are struggling to help their children catch up after being mandated out of a year or more of education. Business owners are struggling to find employees. Crime is up while law enforcement is deliberately underfunded. Enough is enough. We need a commissioner that will listen to their constituents and vote for fiscally responsible decisions. It’s hard to imagine how that could be considered extreme.”
5th District Commissioner candidate Stephanie Berland joined in the criticism of the tone of the Hanzlick tweet:
“She is a seated Commissioner and should know that this type of verbiage can have terrible repercussions, and they indeed have, in my opinion. At the very least, she should be reprimanded, but I think she should be removed from her seat. I professionally deal with people in the community, as does her opponent, and these words hurt companies, employers, and us. It is absolutely terrible judgment and leadership by a Commissioner to use her elected seat as a podium to incite hate and division.”
