In Kansas, six teenage boys are candidates in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Although not yet old enough to vote, the teens are eligible to run for governor in the state of Kansas, as there are no restrictions on who can enter the race. Their story has been covered by many national news organizations, but these reports have mainly focused on the novelty of their situation. Upon speaking with two of the candidates, high school students Jack Bergeson and Tyler Ruzich, it can be seen that they are not running for governor simply because they can, but rather to share legitimate ideas and policy plans that they hope to utilize in bettering their state.
Of the six teen candidates, Jack Bergeson, 17, was the first to declare his candidacy and is the only Democrat. Bergeson discovered that he was eligible to run for the office amidst a Googling spiral and later decided to capitalize on the situation.
“It happened organically with me. One day I was researching the state government for whatever reason and found out that Kansas does not have any restrictions on who can run. I saw that there was a unique opportunity here to do something that could provide a positive impact. It was about a week after that that I decided to do it.” Bergeson said.
Bergeson’s campaign policies seem to be reflected by the Bernie Sanders and Willie Nelson posters that he has hung on the wall of his room. He cited reforming healthcare, raising the minimum wage to 15 dollars an hour and marijuana legalization as some his main initiatives. He feels as though some of his progressive views, particularly the legalization of recreational marijuana, set him apart from traditional Kansas Democrats and will be a pull factor in his campaign for voters.
“The major thing that I think differentiates me from the rest of the Democratic candidates is my strong stance on legalizing marijuana… I want to legalize marijuana because it is a crime that we are putting people in jail for using medicine. Also, if we could do what other states do and tax and regulate it and put the money into education, we can do a lot of good and help solve the Kansas budget crisis which has taken funding away from our education system,” Bergeson said.
For any political candidate in this day and age, the issue of gun control and gun rights is one that can define a campaign and polarize it from an opposing sect of beliefs. Bergeson, well aware of recent atrocities such as the Parkland high school mass shooting, believes that he has developed a stance that satisfies his goal of appeasing both sides of the gun debate in order to allow for progress in reforming gun laws to take place.
“I have come to the conclusion that we need to ban semi-automatics and bump-stocks and we need a universal background check and a three-day waiting period. Those are things that all could have prevented these mass shooting. I want to still be able to continue to support open or concealed carry and the transport of legally owned firearms across state lines… I am pro-defense and I fully believe in the Second Amendment, but I also believe in the right to live,” Bergeson said.
Tyler Ruzich, 17, was the second teen to declare his candidacy, following Bergeson, and was the first of the five Republican teens.
“What inspired me to run the most was probably the overall desire to help people and realizing that the way that I could help the most people through civic engagement and public service was in politics. To help people at a macro sort of level was something that only politics could really do,” Ruzich said.
Ruzich describes himself as more of a centrist and moderate candidate and not a part of the hard-line, libertarian conservatives that had once dominated Kansas politics. As a product of Kansas’ public school system, Ruzich holds increased funding for public education high on his agenda. He also is fighting for the expansion of Medicaid across Kansas, the preservation of local natural resources and the protection of women’s and LGBTQ rights.
“I would say I am the most centrist candidate. For me, increasing funding for public education is really at the top of my agenda and platform from my experience as a public school student. Also, expanding Medicaid, but cutting out some unnecessary programs that are inefficient and not helping the people that it needs to be. Reexamining our budget is also very important to me and my platform,” Ruzich said.
On the topic of guns, Ruzich, like Bergeson, is seeking to walk the delicate line of compromise. While having family members who he describes as some of the proudest gun owners one could ever meet, Ruzich himself was raised in a fairly anti-gun environment; however he tries not to let that sway what he believes in. The position that he has developed on guns is one that separates him from the vast majority of the Republican Party. Ruzich believes in cracking down on who has the right to purchase a firearm and is also challenging lobby groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA).
“I do not have a problem with guns, I have a problem with the gun lobby and its power. The gun lobby has always made the argument that we do not need to pass these gun reforms because people will just break the law. I believe that any reform that makes it harder for those with mental disabilities or with a criminal record, specifically for domestic violence, to get a firearm, is a step in the right direction,” Ruzich said.
While both of these campaigns were originally seen as high school students voicing their opinions, they have since gained new meaning after the recent mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida. After the shooting at their school, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School began publicly advocating for gun law reform through calling out current politicians and organizing nationwide school walkouts. This leading example of teen advocacy and involvement in politics has inspired both candidates as well as given them new importance as channels for young representation in the government.
“[The Parkland students] are getting engaged and really showing that [young people] have ideas and we have comprehensive ideas and we care about our country… What is happening in our country is so unfathomable and we should be able to do anything to keep it from happening again,” Bergeson said.
As some of the first of the next generation to run for office, Bergeson and Ruzich are a beacon of a future that will likely contain an upheaval of the current status quo of stagnante disagreement in government and, instead, involve action and change. Movements like the ones in Kansas and Florida are evidence of the sweeping wave of teen advocacy across the nation that will likely carry into the government of the future.
“Teens are going to be at the forefront of this fight and I think that activism is giving us an even better reputation for being the generation that actually does something. Not just on guns but in politics and policy. We are going to be the generation that truly shifts the political system in our favor,” Ruzich said.
In the aftermath of the national attention given to the six Kansas teens running for governor, the Kansas House of Representatives has introduced and moved along legislation that would enforce age limits on gubernatorial candidates. However, if the bill were signed into law it would not take effect until after the upcoming election, keeping all of the boys eligible to take office if elected. Regardless of age and eligibility, these teens have made a statement and contributed to the movement of young Americans who have refused to be complicit with the established norms of governance and want to make a true difference.
To find out more about the campaigns of Jack Bergeson and Tyler Ruzich, click on the links below:
https://jackforgovernor.nationbuilder.com/
https://www.ruzichforgovernor.com/
