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RESOURCES

Kansas Legislature
Johnson County Election Office
Register to Vote

Communities of the
25th District

Fairway
Mission
Mission Hills
Mission Woods
Prairie Village
Roeland Park
Westwood
Westwood Hills

CONTACT MELISSA

In Topeka: 
State Capitol Room 352-A
Topeka, KS 66612
melissa.rooker@house.ks.gov
785-296-7686

At home in Fairway
4124 Brookridge Drive
Fairway, KS 66205
melissa@melissarooker.com
913-961-1555

Dear Friend:
We are one week away from the 2018 General Election, an election cycle filled with many highlights, as well as several low points. Most notably, the upside has been wonderful opportunities to interact with the people in the 25th House district during door-to-door canvassing and the many community events I continued to attend across the district. Campaigning and meeting new people in the 25th reminds me why my husband and I packed up our family so many years ago and came home. It reminds me why I first got involved with the local PTA and why I continue to fight so passionately for education. But above all, it rejuvenates my drive to make things better for the great people in our community.
 
The Conversation We Should Be Having
You don’t have to look beyond your own mailbox (both real world and online) to see the downside of this election cycle. The anger, negativity and in many cases out-right lies have shifted attention away from what we should be focused on, which is what we can do to make our community and our state a better place:
  • We should be focused on protecting the work we did on tax reform and budget stabilization,
  • We should be focused on continuing to invest in infrastructure and rebuilding the capacity and expertise in our state agencies to address the needs of hardworking Kansans.
  • We should be focused on fulfilling our commitment to Kansas kids by finishing the work on school finance,
  • We should be focused on correcting serious problems in child welfare programs and expanding Medicaid.
In other words, we should be focused on finding ways to move forward together to deal with the serious challenges we still face as a state.

Instead, I have been the target of character attacks designed to erode your trust in me. Outside special interests have created a lot of noise in this race, which frustrates me. Your mailbox has been filled with negative postcards from the right attacking me for voting to repeal the Brownback tax breaks, and negative postcards from the left hypocritically attacking me for accepting support from the business community in Kansas, when they themselves accept the same contributions. My opponent has chosen to let the Kansas Democratic Party speak for him.

As a reminder, my campaign materials are clearly marked “Paid for by Melissa Rooker for State Representative, Sheila Davis, Treasurer.” I am choosing to remain positive in my campaign materials, touting my strengths and accomplishments on your behalf. 

If invading your mailbox wasn’t enough, this election has taken over social media and gotten very ugly. I don’t engage in debates on social media. It is too easy for things to be misconstrued and taken out of context. Tone and intent matter. I fully understand as a public official, attacks come with the territory. What I don’t have tolerance for is the hate-filled attacks against people who show support for me.
 
The organizations endorsing me have been attacked throughout the campaign for doing so, but the lowest point came over the weekend when my rabbi, Mark Levin, was attacked for posting something complimentary about me on his Facebook page. You read that right – my actual rabbi. He has known my family for many years, and helped counsel us through life’s many challenges, most recently my mother’s incredibly difficult illness and death. The aggression and lack of respect shown toward my faith leader by my opponent’s most vocal supporter (who was also my 2012 opponent) is unconscionable. I won’t repeat the attacks, but if you want to read for yourself, they can be found in the comments on two posts – one from 10/24 at 5:46pm and the other on Saturday in response to the shooting at the synagogue in Pittsburgh 10/27 at 4:04pm https://www.facebook.com/markhlevin.
 
Servant Leadership
None of this is right. The example we set matters. I have been criticized for not loudly denouncing every negative, tragic, or violent act perpetrated in America, or the response of others regarding those stories. I choose to chart a path that involves living out a better example. Service comes first for me. Exhibiting compassion through actions and setting the right example means more than constantly posting denouncements on Facebook. I believe in fighting for what’s right for our community and that can often mean standing up to both political parties. I’m proud to say I’ve done that.  

That said, the events of the past weekend have left all of us shaken. For me, as a Jewish woman, it was particularly frightening to hear news reports of the shooting in Pittsburgh. It is the tragically predictable result of the hate-filled rhetoric we have been subjected to with increasing intensity in the past couple of years. 

On November 6th, we choose the leaders who will shape our state.  It is my hope that we elect people whose actions and record model the kind of representation that transcends party lines, rather than the kind that divisive party politics dictates. No doubt, we will see more negativity before this election is over. However, be careful what you believe and above all, please call me at 913-961-1555 if you are hearing things that don’t add up with what you know I stand for. I would be happy to set the record straight. I also encourage you to use the fact checker on my website, www.melissarooker.com, for my views and votes on the issues.

Get Involved
There are just a few days left to reach voters before election day. Help me spread the word about my campaign and record of service!
  • Most importantly, make a plan to vote on or before November 6.
    • If you have applied for a mail ballot, it must be postmarked on Election Day, or can be taken to the Johnson County election office, or your local polling place. 
    • In-person advance voting is open this week until 7 pm, Saturday 9am - 3 pm, at these locations. 
  • Host a yard sign. There's still time to influence your neighbors! Email me and we will deliver a sign to your house and pick it up once the election is over.
  • Make calls. Visit with voters in the 25th about your support for me and encourage them to get out and vote. 
  • Write Post Cards. A personal note to your friends or neighbors in the 25th is a great way to show your support and encourage others to vote. 
Finally, I ask for your vote on or before Tuesday, November 6!
Sincerely,

Rep. Melissa Rooker
Kansas State Representative, District 25
Serving Northeast Johnson County
Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved.
Melissa Rooker,