Kansas Helen Podcast

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. Jacobs explains why he is running for governor and how this campaign connects to his earlier campaigns for Wichita mayor and Sedgwick County sheriff. He says winning is not the main point of the campaign. He describes the campaign as a way to create a counter-narrative, challenge the two-party system, encourage non-affiliated vo...

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. This section discusses transparency, cronyism, and the relationship between private interests and public office. The conversation covers elected officials using official titles on social media, blocking political opposition, business events with elected leaders, closed-door influence, and the difference between personal pages an...

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. Jacobs discusses poverty, crime, houselessness, mental health, and self-medication as symptoms of larger economic and social systems. He argues that police are a reactionary force and that communities need responsible systems that address the conditions creating harm. The discussion also covers healthcare access, education, labe...

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. This section looks at why local government matters, including policing, city councils, public safety spending, homelessness, mental health calls, and alternatives to armed police responses. See the full interview on Kansas Helen Substack and learn more at the link in my bio. You can now also watch on Kansas Helen YouTube or list...

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. Jacobs explains that he is not approaching the governor race as a traditional representative. He says he is approaching it as an applied anthropologist and describes his goal as using research, field work, and systemic audits to dismantle systems rather than reform them. He argues that symbolic victories and small reforms do not...

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. Jacobs explains the meaning behind Not Cops and how it grew from protest work into the center of his campaign. He describes it as a way to question public safety, community care, policing, control, government violence, and older systems that he says still shape current laws and policies. See the full interview on Kansas Helen Su...

Bryant Jacobs is running for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election. In this full conversation, Bryant Jacobs discusses his decision to run for Governor and the experiences that shaped his perspective on leadership and policy in Kansas. He explains what led him to step into the race and how his background influences the priorities he is bringing forward in his campaign. The discussion begins with...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher continue discussing the realities of serving in the Statehouse, emphasizing that representatives are one of many voices and must operate within...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss the importance of focusing on what a state representative can realistically accomplish. They emphasize that representatives operate as...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas discusses term limits and the concept of an Article V Convention, which would allow states to propose constitutional amendments. He explains that efforts a...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss how political communication is changing, particularly with the use of social media and digital platforms. Reicher explains her approach...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss how political incentives shape decision-making and voter behavior. They talk about the growth of unaffiliated voters, noting that many...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss term limits and the role of long-term incumbency in government. They reflect on how extended time in office can create disconnects from...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas discusses the challenges of running as a third-party candidate, reflecting on his previous campaign as a Libertarian and the limitations of that path. He e...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss campaign finance and the challenges of running against incumbents. Thomas explains that incumbents often have advantages in funding and...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss the importance of primary elections and voter participation. They highlight how, in many Kansas districts, the primary effectively dete...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss the importance of civic education and understanding how different levels of government function. They highlight how many people direct...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss the use of STAR bonds and public funding for large development projects, including concerns about how those decisions are made. They ta...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas discusses healthcare access, including his support for expanding Medicaid, particularly to ensure coverage for children. He reflects on his own experience...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas discusses the role of extracurricular activities within schools and suggests the possibility of restructuring how those programs are organized. He describe...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas discusses property taxes and how they connect to education funding, emphasizing that much of property tax revenue is collected and spent at the local level...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss marijuana policy and broader drug laws, focusing on individual choice and the role of government in regulating what people can do with...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas and Reicher discuss how political debates have shifted toward more extreme positions, using abortion as an example of an issue where there is less room for...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, the discussion centers on political parties and growing frustration with partisan division. Reicher explains her decision to remain unaffiliated, describing how a...

Robert Thomas is running for Kansas House District 61, representing parts of Jackson, Pottawatomie, and Riley counties, including Holton, Delia, Westmoreland, St. Marys, Onaga, and parts of Manhattan. In this portion of the conversation, Thomas discusses his views on the role of government, particularly around limiting its scope and focusing on core responsibilities. He reflects on his shift towar...