Democrat appeals for grassroots growth here

He’s young, energetic, and a veteran with the Kansas Democratic Party.
Kerry Gooch, 24, assumed the post of executive director three weeks ago. In that short time he is already making his way across the state spurring efforts to establish more county organizations.
A graduate of Kansas State University, Gooch interned with the state office while a student. For the past two years he has served as its political director. He also comes from political blood. His grandfather, Sen. Ulysses “Rip” Gooch, served in the Kansas Senate from 1993 to 2004.
In a heavily Republican state, Gooch remains undaunted about the challenges that face him.
His tack?
One step at a time.
Growing an effective state Democratic party requires a long-term strategy that begins with growing a local base, community by community.
Democrats need to take a lesson from the Republican Party playbook, Gooch said, and “grow candidates at local levels.” Gooch was in Iola Tuesday afternoon before addressing a party meeting in Humboldt that night.
To grow a Democratic presence, the first step is to get more voters to register as Democrats.
“They’re out there,” Gooch said, by evidence of the close election last fall in which Democrat Paul Davis was narrowly defeated by Gov. Sam Brownback.
In Allen County, one half of those voting for Davis were either registered Republicans or independents. Davis secured 1,981 local votes to Brownback’s 2,268. The Democratic Party has about 1,500 registered voters in Allen County.
The disappointment is about 500 failed to vote, Gooch said.
Which leads to his second point, driving voter interest.
“We have to do a better job in turning out voters,” he said.
Gooch believes many Kansans are upset with Republican legislators and how they are managing state affairs.
Though the Brownback-Davis election was close, Republicans “took it as a mandate to double-down on their efforts to cut essential programs and services in Kansas.
“They haven’t changed their tune one bit,” he said.
Gooch wants it made known “the Democratic Party is an alternative. And we have our own ideas of how Kansas can be a better, stronger state.”
That said, Gooch believes Kansas Democrats and moderate Republicans share more similarities than differences. The key word there is “moderate.”
Being fiscally prudent is key, he said, in growing the state as an attractive place to work and do business.
Gooch referred to the latest jobs report showing the state has lost 3,100 manufacturing jobs compared to last year at this time, according to the Kansas Department of Labor.
Overall, the state has seen a .07 percent increase in private sector jobs since April 2014, while neigboring states have fared better at attracting new jobs.

ABOUT HALF of the counties across Kansas lack any organized Democratic effort.
Gooch said 56 of the state’s 105 counties have established Democratic party headquarters. Always the optimist, Gooch said, that number is “more than ever before.”
Allen County’s Democratic Party has recently re-engaged under the efforts of Mike Bruner of Humboldt. He can be contacted at mikebruner6@gmail.com.