KS-HD65: After GOP incumbent's outburst at Wichita church forum, Democrat shifts focus in House race

TOPEKA — When incumbent Republican Rep. Patrick Penn stormed out of a candidate forum this month at a North Wichita church, his Democratic opponent shifted the focus of her campaign to question his mental health.

Democrat Aonya Kendrick Barnett attacked Penn in a Facebook post for his behavior at the Oct. 13 forum, saying that Penn became angry and threw his nametag at an elder while church security intervened.

“I think his anger got the best of him, and this is something that I’ve been hearing constantly about him,” Kendrick Barnett said in an interview.

Before the candidate forum, Kendrick Barnett’s campaign focused on Penn’s voting record. Now, she is voicing concerns over Penn’s outbursts.

One of her initiatives is to give Kansans more access to mental health resources, and her campaign has focused on bringing her values of community, integrity and progress to the Legislature. Penn’s campaign bills him as a “champion for conservatism.”



https://kansasreflector.com/2024/10/28/after-gop-incumbents-outburst-at-wichita-church-forum-democrat-shifts-focus-in-house-race/