Gainesville’s Ken McGurn needs UF students’ vote

In the midst of all the commotion surrounding the presidential election, it’s easy to forget that our attention and care should focus on other aspects of government as well when the time comes. Not long after the President is elected, voters will once again be given the opportunity to vote in new members of congress.

One of the candidates in the running is Democrat Ken McGurn.

With his campaign headquartered in lovely, sunny Gainesville, McGurn is looking to represent the Third Congressional District of Florida.

Why do you think people should direct more attention towards congressional campaigns?

Congressional campaigns are very important because they directly affect the local districts. Congressional representatives bring money to the area for their specific needs. For example, [the counties surrounding Gainesville] don’t have broadband. Now, if you’re attending school somewhere that does not have good internet connection, you’re gonna fall behind.

That’s our education; you are leaving these children behind in education. Eventually, these children won’t be able to compete in the workforce. A good representative can bring money to the district to [fix this].

Do you think there is an overwhelming amount of people uninformed about this? Why or why not?

Sure, they’re under-informed. The media, for now, has been focused on the presidential election and all the everything surrounding that. There’s very little coverage on the other elections and there’s so many of them going on now. Hillary and Donald have taken over the news, so it doesn’t leave much time for the rest of the candidates who haven’t started their races yet.

We’re collecting money and getting ready to go out, trying to make our statement, but that won’t come for another few months. It’s just hard to get news time, there’s too much competing noise.

What is one thing you wish more people knew about congress? 

Just how important it is to the local area and how important it is for the people to function together. Our congress took 67 votes to overturn Obamacare. That’s just being wasteful with time. They should be working together to do something. They’re up there arguing and making everybody mad at each other. You can’t do that now. We need to unite and work as one voice.

Both presidential candidates have caused a lot of distaste within their respective parties. Do you foresee a continuation of the strained relationship between Commander in Chief and congress that occurred during the Obama administration?

Yes. A lot of what happened with Obama was driven by racist attitudes and Democrats and Republicans fighting each other. If Hillary wins, I see this same sort of thing happening just because Hillary is a woman. Some people just can’t stand that.

Society is moving slowly. We think it’s moved [more than it has], but there’s still prejudice. Everyone seems to need someone who is inferior to them. When I was in Vietnam, I was there with a lot of different folks: black, gay, everything. When you get hit by a bullet, guess what’s underneath [everyone’s] skin? Red blood. So there’s no excuse for this.

If Trump gets in, a lot of folks are gonna be upset because he’s been divisive and has spoken out against a lot of people he shouldn’t have. If he continues doing that, things won’t end well. I’m particularly concerned about some of his economic policies, such as defaulting on the national debt.

Is there a way to avoid it?  

The one thing that’s always done that is having another enemy to focus on. In World War II, we focused on Hitler, the Nazis, and the Japanese. George Bush Sr., when the Iraqis invaded Kuwait, had a moral reason to go to war and the country united under that.

We don’t have a single issue to focus on in this country, so we’re just looking around for someone to blame. Is this defeatist? No, it’s reality. We just need people to unite and be accepting and tolerant.