Common Ground:
Meet Kansas Democrats in Oberlin!

photo by Kane Reinholdtsen on Unsplash

And it is a wrap on Common Ground 2026! Watch the videos below from this exciting day!

House District 110 Candidate Mark Shaukowitch

First, we want to thank every person who attended! Nothing we did to put the event together or which candidates attended mattered if you did not come. So thank you for coming! Thank you for knowing how important rural Kansas is and how strong and loud our voices are when we put them together collectively and at the voting booth! It is time candidates learned they must understand rural Kansas as well as represent and advocate for us while in office!

Second, thank you to the candidates who attended! Your willingness to come this great distance showed us that you will be the kind of representative who knows you represent all Kansans! That effort sets you apart from those who didn't attend! And as you now know, rural Kansas has unique challenges, and we need representatives who will always fight for what is needed here and not just vote along party lines or vote for legislation that ignores the negative impacts it has on a smaller group of Kansans. We believe you are the candidates capable of finding COMMON GROUND and creating a Kansas that works for everyone!

Third, we thank everyone who worked behind the scenes. We couldn't have made this event the success it was without you! Although Decatur County hosted the event, we had help from other nearby organized Democratic counties Thomas, Norton, Smith and Ellis! They provided sponsorship money, connections, physical help at the event, and publicity help. We also had incredible support from the Food & Farm Caucus. If you have ever wanted to get more involved in politics, but didn't know how, I highly recommend you get in touch with the Food & Farm Caucus. They are truly movers & shakers. The Chair of the Food & Farm Caucus is Bill Heatherman. You can reach him by email at billheatherman@hotmail.com. We also had a number of sponsors who helped cover the cost. Although we did as much of the work as possible ourselves, the event wasn't free of cost. I was amazed at how many individuals and organizations believed in our idea and helped us make it happen. We are truly grateful for the financial support!!!

Finally, this thank you is personal, and it comes directly from me, Lorie Wood as Chair of the Decatur County Democratic Party. As I begin writing this, the tears are already forming. I want to thank every person who has ever come to one of our Decatur County Democratic Party meetings. Some of you have come to every meeting. Some have come to only one because life gets in the way. Some haven't come yet, but we look forward to you coming! Without your presence, we could do nothing! On Dec. 2nd, 2025, the night of our organization meeting, I didn't know what to expect. In fact, I honestly expected no one to come. But you did! One by one you walked through the door! I didn't know you, and you certainly didn't know me, but we had a shared idea that somehow, some way, we could make the world better together, even if it was only in our little corner of the world. When you voted me in as your Chair that night, I was so deeply moved by your trust in me that I was determined not to let you down. That is what prompted the idea of Common Ground. When I presented the idea to you in January, I was fairly certain you might ask if I was crazy, but instead, you asked what do you need us to do! You are the most amazing people, and I was so proud to show off the people of Decatur County at Common Ground. You represented us proudly!

Thank you for a job well done!

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