A message from Carol Marinovich, the President of the Board of Directors of the MainStream Coalition.
Carol Marinovich
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff of the MainStream Coalition, I would like to wish each and every one of you a very “Happy New Year.” I am so excited to serve once again as president of this amazing organization that is celebrating, this year, its 25th anniversary of working for Kansans.
2018 is a critical year with important statewide and federal races. We had significant wins in 2017 and need to work hard to maintain those moderate seats and work to pick up additional ones. The progress we made in 2017 occurred because committed people—Democrat, Republican and Independent—came together. We looked at those important issues we shared, such as quality public education and sustainable fiscal policy, and joined forces to fight the failed Brownback experiment.
During my tenure as Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government, I witnessed first-hand what positive change can occur when elected officials work together for a community, for a state. As a registered Democrat, I could not have asked for a better partner than Gov. Bill Graves to help with consolidating my local governments, building a speedway and creating a tourist destination. It took that type of partnership to beat the extremists who were in opposition.
The MainStream Coalition has a committed and dedicated staff and board. However, we need each and every one of you to commit to working together this coming year. We can win, but only if each of us commits to even doing more.
Please join us at our second annual “Walk the Vote” this summer. We hope to see hundreds of committed Kansans there. Candidates will need volunteers to canvass and do phone banking this year, too. Just think of what a difference we can make if each and every one of us commits at least one Saturday to a candidate.
In October, we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary at our annual “Stand Up, Speak Out” dinner, reflecting on the past and looking to the future as an organization. I hope to see you all there.
Next Monday, January 8th, is the first day of the Kansas legislative session. Follow along with us via our weekly updates and on social media to stay informed. Share it with your friends and family.
As a “mainstream” organization, we ask our supporters to do more than vote this year: get informed, get involved, and make a difference. It starts here. It starts with all of us.
With deepest regards,
Carol Marinovich
President of the Board of Directors
MainStream Coalition
