Candidate to meet with county Demos

Tobias Schlingensiepen, candidate for the Democratic nomination for the 2nd District Congressional seat, will meet with Bourbon County Democrats at their meeting, set for 7 p.m. today at the Danny and Willa Ellis Family Fine Arts Center on the campus of Fort Scott Community College, 2108 S. Horton.

Schlingensiepen (pronounced schling-in-zee-pen) grew up in Topeka and lives there today. Other Democrats running for the congressional spot include Democrats Robert V. Eye of Topeka and Scott Barnhart of Ottawa.

The winner of the Aug. 7 primary will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka.

Schlingensiepen is a pastor on leave from the First Congregational Church, a community leader and a chaplain with the Topeka Police Department. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 1986. After attending seminary, he returned to Topeka to live and work.

"I believe our nation is strong," Schlingensiepen said in a news release. "We can create new jobs, educate our children, give workers a fair deal, and care for the elderly and the vulnerable without bankrupting ourselves, but we have to choose better priorities.

"We can end the gridlock in Congress, but we have to send people to Washington who are willing to pay attention to the voters."

The general election is Nov. 6.