Bourbon County Republican Voter Guide

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting starts Oct. 19.

Paid for by Bourbon County Republican Party, Kevin Wagner, Chairman.

I served my country for 30 years. I always knew I’d come home.

I’m Rick James, your State Representative for the 4th District.

I grew up in La Cygne and graduated from Prairie View High School in 1981. A few days later, I left for the Marine Corps.

There was never any doubt I’d come back to Eastern Kansas. In 2008 I moved my family to a small farm near Highway 69, and finished my Marine career nearby in Belton.

This is home. I’ll keep standing up for the values, the freedoms, and the future of Eastern Kansas.

Rooted in Eastern Kansas. Re-elect Rick James, State Representative, District 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting at the Bourbon County Courthouse starts Oct. 19.

Paid for by Rick James for Kansas State Representative.

Learn more: Rick James on Facebook | rickjamesks.com

If you’ve voted Republican for lower taxes and smaller government, we already agree.

Lower taxes. Less government. Property rights. Personal responsibility. If those are the reasons you vote the way you do, you and I want the same things.

The reality is we need less government, not more. It won’t happen overnight, but I’ll work toward it one step at a time.

I’ll answer to the people of Bourbon and Linn counties, not party leaders in Topeka.

You don’t have to be a Libertarian to vote for me. You only have to believe District 4 deserves a better choice. Rob Hodgkinson for Kansas House, District 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. In Bourbon County, early voting at the Courthouse runs Oct. 19 through noon Nov. 2.

Paid for by Hodgkinson for Kansas, Ric Koehn treasurer.

Learn more: rob4ks.com

Rural Kansas isn’t just land. It’s a way of life worth protecting.

I’m Rick James. Communities like Bourbon and Linn counties are built on hard work, resilience, and family.

When big projects like commercial solar want thousands of acres of our farm and pasture land, the people who live here deserve a strong voice.

• Keep farm and pasture land with farmers and ranchers
• Listen to the landowners and farm families affected by big projects
• Help local governments negotiate better, so rural communities don’t get stuck with the short end of the stick

Dedicated to preserving rural Kansas. Re-elect Rick James, State Representative, District 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting at the Bourbon County Courthouse starts Oct. 19.

Paid for by Rick James for Kansas State Representative.

Learn more: Rick James on Facebook | rickjamesks.com

I’m a local guy who runs two small businesses, not a career politician.

I’m Rick James. After the Marines, I started two local businesses: Semper Fi Auction Services and Bravo Realty.

Through that work I talk with people one on one: families settling an estate, downsizing, or moving closer to better health care.

When you’re dealing with other people’s finances, you learn a lot about people and what they’re struggling with.

A business owner, not a career politician. Re-elect Rick James, State Representative, District 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting at the Bourbon County Courthouse starts Oct. 19.

Paid for by Rick James for Kansas State Representative.

Learn more: Rick James on Facebook | rickjamesks.com

I served my country for 30 years. I want to keep serving you.

I’m Rick James. A few days after high school I joined the Marines, and I served for 30 years:

• Desert Storm, Haiti, and Operation Iraqi Freedom
• Marine Corps Drill Instructor and embassy duty
• Retired as a Sergeant Major, awarded the Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit

When I retired in 2011, I didn’t stop serving. I started two local businesses, served as your neighbor on the county commission, and now I’m your voice in Topeka.

Still serving. Semper Fi. Re-elect Rick James, State Representative, District 4.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Early voting at the Bourbon County Courthouse starts Oct. 19.

Paid for by Rick James for Kansas State Representative.

Learn more: Rick James on Facebook | rickjamesks.com

When somebody in Bourbon County needs what you do, whose name comes up first?

If it isn’t yours, it’s somebody’s. Maybe a place 40 minutes down the highway. Maybe whatever came up first in a search. You can do the best work in the county and still lose that moment to whoever they happened to see last week.

Our Facebook page has 6,500 followers and gets over 500,000 views a month. Your ad runs as a full post on FortScott.biz, goes out in the daily email with the news, and gets pushed to Facebook right alongside it.

We’ll write it for you. Twenty minutes on the phone, a few pictures, and you get three or four finished ads to look at, at no cost. If they’re not right, you owe nothing.

Monthly advertising campaigns start at $200.

Email advertising@fortscott.biz or call or text (620) 644-9119.

I’m Josh Jones. Don’t take my word for it — watch the record.

I’m Josh Jones, a lifelong resident and small-business owner, and I’m running for Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3.

Most candidates ask you to imagine how they’d govern. I can just show you. For nearly three years I served on the Fort Scott City Commission — chosen by my fellow commissioners as mayor, and later as commission president. My whole time there is on the public record: the votes, the debates, all of it.

So you don’t have to wonder what kind of commissioner I’d be:

• Watch what I already did — it’s on video for anyone to see
• I’ve sat through the tough, loud debates and learned how to bring the focus back to getting things done
• I make decisions independently — on the merits, on what’s best for the community — even when it involves friends or people I respect

That last one matters. I’ve cast hard votes that didn’t go the easy way for the people closest to me, because the job is to do what’s right for the citizens, not what’s comfortable. A record holds everyone accountable, including me — and in a county where trust is running thin, a track record you can actually check is worth a lot.

Don’t take my word for it. Watch the record for yourself — then vote.

Vote Josh Jones — Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3. A record you can check.

Paid for by Joshua Jones for County Commissioner, Josh Jones, Treasurer.

Learn more and get in touch: Josh Jones on Facebook

I’m Josh Jones, and you’ll always know what your commission is doing.

I’m Josh Jones, a lifelong resident and small-business owner, and I’m running for Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3.

One of the reasons I got involved in the first place is that I wanted to fight for transparency and public trust in our local government. You deserve to see exactly what your government is up to. Back before our local meetings were routinely posted online, I showed up with my own phone and recorded them myself, so citizens could watch the work for themselves. It made some officials uncomfortable — and that’s the point. Putting government on the record keeps everyone honest, including the people in office.

Here’s how I’ve always worked, and how I’ll work for you:

• On the record — meetings on video, so anyone can see exactly what happened
• Reachable — I answer questions on social media and meet folks face-to-face at the car lot; I don’t hide from the people I serve
• Town halls — a real place to be heard, so the regular meetings stay productive

And here’s the thing I never want anyone in office to forget: this is your county, and those elected officials work for you — not the other way around. If you ever feel like no one’s listening, don’t give up. Make a phone call, write a letter, come to a meeting. Your voice is the whole point.

Vote Josh Jones — Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3. On the record. Within reach.

Paid for by Joshua Jones for County Commissioner, Josh Jones, Treasurer.

Learn more and get in touch: Josh Jones on Facebook

I’m Josh Jones, and strong leadership means bringing people together.

I’m Josh Jones, a lifelong resident and small-business owner, and I’m running for Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3.

One of the most important parts of being a county commissioner — and honestly, of life itself — is learning how to work with other people. No single commissioner has all the answers. The job isn’t about proving you’re right or making sure your ideas always win. It’s about listening, respecting different perspectives, and finding common ground that benefits the people we serve.

Right now there’s too much arguing at the county and not enough working together. When commissioners can’t function as a team, the county falls behind — opportunities get missed and good projects stall. And the people who pay the price aren’t the commissioners around the table. It’s the citizens who count on their leaders to solve problems.

Working together doesn’t mean avoiding the hard conversations. Sometimes you have to have the courage to stand up to someone who’s being disrespectful or trying to force their own agenda. But even then, the goal is never to create more conflict — it’s to steer the conversation back toward solutions and keep our county moving forward. I’ve sat in that seat: nearly three years on the Fort Scott City Commission, chosen by my fellow commissioners as mayor and later commission president, and I learned how to run a meeting that actually gets something done.

Because strong leadership isn’t measured by who talks the loudest or wins the most arguments. It’s measured by who can bring people together, earn respect, and leave Bourbon County better than they found it.

Vote Josh Jones — Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3. Bring the calm. Get it done.

Paid for by Joshua Jones for County Commissioner, Josh Jones, Treasurer.

Learn more and get in touch: Josh Jones on Facebook

I’m Josh Jones, and I’ll treat your tax dollars like they matter.

I’m Josh Jones, a lifelong resident and small-business owner, and I’m running for Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3.

I believe the county should be run like a business — and the first thing any good business owner knows is who the boss is. In county government, that’s you. The citizens are the real owners, and every dollar spent is yours.

Running it like a business doesn’t mean everything has to turn a profit. A park may not, and that’s fine. It means nothing gets wasted, and every decision comes down to value versus cost. It also means taking care of the people who do the work — employees are the backbone of any organization, and you don’t build anything good by forgetting that.

When you’re told it’s “cut services or raise taxes,” that isn’t always the whole truth. On the Fort Scott City Commission, we showed there’s a third way:

• Cut about half a million dollars from the budget in my first six months
• Raised our lowest-paid workers from $8 an hour to $12
• Lowered the mill levy three years running while holding the budget at or near revenue neutral

I’ll bring that same taxpayer-first discipline to the county:

• Stay truly revenue neutral — don’t automatically keep every extra dollar that rising property valuations bring in
• Push for a clear cap (say, 3% or inflation) so any increase past it goes to a vote of the people, not just a hearing that changes nothing

Your tax dollars, your county, your call.

Vote Josh Jones — Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3. Value for every dollar.

Paid for by Joshua Jones for County Commissioner, Josh Jones, Treasurer.

Learn more and get in touch: Josh Jones on Facebook

I’m Josh Jones — born here, built my life here, running to serve here.

I’m Josh Jones, and I’m running for Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3.

My family has been in this county since the 1850s, and so has my wife’s. I grew up here. I tried leaving once — it lasted about three weeks before I moved right back. By the time I had my first kids at 20, I’d made up my mind: I was going to build something here, so my family would never have to leave to find a good life.

So I went to work. Nearly 20 years as a small-business owner — Fort Scott Sanitation, rental properties, and today Bourbon County Cars. For a stretch in between, I even drove a school bus for our middle- and high-school sports teams, so I wouldn’t miss being part of my kids’ school experiences. And along the way I learned you don’t fix a community by complaining about it. You find good people who care as much as you do, and you get to work:

• Joined the volunteers who resurfaced the tennis courts so our kids have a place to play
• Pitched in on scholarships for young people going into the trades
• Acquired the Lowman Street lot where the historic church Gordon Parks attended once stood, and donated it to the Gordon Parks Museum — so that piece of our history stays alive here

None of that was about me. It was about people who are passionate about this town pulling in the same direction — and I’ve been lucky to be part of it. That’s exactly what I want to bring to the county: see a problem, bring the right folks together, and actually get it done.

I’d be grateful for the chance to earn your vote.

Vote Josh Jones — Bourbon County Commissioner, District 3. A neighbor who shows up.

Paid for by Joshua Jones for County Commissioner, Josh Jones, Treasurer.

Learn more and get in touch: Josh Jones on Facebook