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WELCOME

Riley County
Democrats

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Welcome to Riley County and your local Democratic Party. We are so glad you’ve joined us. The RCDP is a passionate organization fighting to improve the quality of life for all residents, from Manhattan to May Day. We believe that a prosperous Kansas begins with investing in people’s basic needs– job security, healthcare, and education– and protecting the fundamental human rights of everybody. Please explore our website and discover ways to get involved with this growing movement!

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GET ON BOARD

Take Part in Something Great

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Who We Are

Equality, Equity, Democracy, Justice

Values

Equality, Equity, Democracy, Justice.

 

Mission Statement

The Riley County Democratic Party is committed to advancing equality, equity, justice, and democracy. We strive to elect progressive candidates who believe our community is stronger when governments uplift the working class, strengthen our basic human rights, ensure adequate housing, support public education, and lower barriers to democratic participation. We pledge not to carry our values as Democrats in name only but as Democrats in action, eager to serve our community.

2026 State and Federal Election Platform

EXPAND HEALTHCARE ACCESS AND MEDICAID We support immediate Medicaid expansion and broader healthcare access for all Kansans, protecting rural hospitals, reducing uncompensated care, and ensuring affordable, quality care for every resident. PROTECT AND FULLY FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION We oppose public funding for private school vouchers, and instead demand full funding for public schools, including special education, and support enhanced civics and history education. We reject divisive culture wars in classrooms and prioritize safe, inclusive, and academically focused learning environments. GROW THE ECONOMY AND GOOD-PAYING JOBS We support investments in infrastructure, workforce development, and small business support to create and retain good-paying jobs across Kansas, ensuring economic opportunity for workers in all corners of the state. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND RENEWABLE ENERGY We advocate for water conservation, clean air and land, and the expansion of renewable energy production. Our goal is a sustainable Kansas that protects natural resources for future generations while creating green jobs. Fair Tax System and Economy We support a progressive tax structure that ensures the wealthiest Kansans and large corporations pay their fair share, easing the burden on working families and funding essential public services. Such a structure requires closing tax loopholes and raising taxes on the wealthy and large corporations. Furthermore, we believe no person should be subjected to a life of precarity, brought on by an unprecedented concentration of wealth. To grow our economy from the bottom up and uplift working families, we support raising the minimum wage, expanding child tax credits, and strengthening the rights of workers to unionize so they can earn their fair share. Judicial Independence and Financial Influence in Politics We defend Kansas’s nonpartisan, merit-based judicial selection process and support policies that will eliminate the influence of dark money in our elections, rather than open the doors for more of it. Protect Personal Rights We believe lawmakers should defend and expand our basic human rights, not strip them away. These include women’s reproductive rights, voting rights, and our children’s right to public education, as guaranteed by the Kansas State Constitution. Public Safety and Marijuana Legalization We advocate for common-sense measures that will keep our communities safe and keep harmless individuals out of prison. We support the legalization and regulation of recreational and medicinal marijuana, helping to reduce our prison population and offer alternative forms of effective medical care to patients. We also demand the enactment of common-sense gun safety measures such as universal background checks, red flag laws, and waiting periods to keep our communities, especially children, safe. PROTECT and EXPAND HEALTHCARE and SOCIAL SAFETY NETS We believe that Americans deserve what they worked for. We will defend Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid from cruel attempts to take away the dignity of retirement from seniors and healthcare from millions of our friends, family, and neighbors. Moreover, we call on solutions that will undergird Social Security’s long-term viability, increase healthcare access, and lower prescription drug costs for all. SUPPORT for VETERANS We are committed to ensuring veterans have easy and timely access to comprehensive healthcare, job training, and housing assistance to honor their service and help them thrive. STRENGTHEN DEMOCRACY and VOTING RIGHTS We support federal legislation to make voting easier and more secure, end partisan gerrymandering, overturn Citizens United, and reduce the influence of ultra-wealthy individuals and corporations in politics. PROTECT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS and PURSUE HUMANE IMMIGRATION REFORM We will defend all constitutional rights and advocate for comprehensive immigration reform that upholds due process, creates a fair path to citizenship, and protects sensitive locations, such as churches, schools, and hospitals, from immigration enforcement.

LEADERSHIP

Meet the Team

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Riley County Democratic Party Chair

Kelm Lear

Kelm is the youngest chair of a county party in Kansas and is a proud lifelong Democrat (even before he could register to vote). He graduated from K-State in May 2025 with degrees in political science, social transformation studies, and a master's in public administration. He is most interested in fighting poverty, making housing affordable, and empowering organized labor.

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Secretary

Penny Cullers

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Vice Chair

Catherine Crane

Catherine is a retired educator with a background in civil engineering, architecture, and planning. She practiced and taught architecture, and she is passionate about housing affordability and accessibility for all, and about environmental issues. She is a member of the KDP Disability Caucus.

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Treasurer

Tonia Walker

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NEWS

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© 2025 Riley County Democratic Party | Paid for by the Riley County Democratic Party.  This communication is not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee.

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For press inquiries write to Chair: 

1310A Westloop

Manhattan, KS, 6650


info@rileycountydemocrats.org

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