Standing in front of the fourth district congressional delegate selection committee, Lee Kinch, state party chair, urged Bernie supporters present to consider running for office. He listed off the names of unopposed Republicans and said: “Let’s take your energy to the state house.”
Numerous Bernie supporting delegates signed up and committed to a race — but for Gabriel Costilla, a teacher from West High in Derby, Kansas, the goal wasn’t just to put a name on a ballot in a race Democrats viewed a difficult one to win.
Costilla announced early that he would challenge Ty Masterson (R-District 16, Derby), a prominent conservative who many believed was set to sail into the state house in 2016. Despite Masterson’s 2011 bankruptcy and business failure, not many Democrats wanted to take on Masterson, who sits on a considerable finance holdings.
www.butlercountytimesgazette.com/...
“Kansans know the deck is stacked against them, and coming from poverty, I am no stranger to an uphill battle,” said Costilla. “I may not have the name recognition or the big financial backers that Sen. Masterson has, but I have the determination and the passion to win.”
When Bernie National campaign staff began looking for candidates who reflect their idea of what a downballot revolution looks like, no name comes up in conversation more often than Gabriel Costilla.
Costilla’s aggressive online approach has included direct district outreach through canvass, an active schedule of talking to voters, weekly video updates, campaign status reports and efforts to use Bernie supporters to build precincts and infrastructure needed to put high school teacher who believes in them into office.
Brooklynne Mosley, Bernie Sander’s National Staff for Kansas, noted, “Gabriel Castilla is committed to this.” Her praise isn’t alone — as the topic of getting behind a candidate like Costilla has been discussed in calls between state and national workers on the Sanders campaign, as a sign this is the kind of candidate they view as important for the face of change in the future.
Democratic candidates in difficult districts often stay home — but not Gabriel, who, using a fleet of volunteers and staff contends he’s spending his time blanketing his district and making sure to get the message out. “I’m in this to win” he tells me.
For Democrats, who often fail to recruit younger, dynamic or non-white candidates, Costilla reflects a huge change in the market. While his race is an uphill climb, candidates who commit to do the work in this year, especially dynamic young candidates, represent a new future for parties like the Kansas Democratic Party.
If you’re in Kansas and you want to support some dynamic change here is your chance to get there first, before you hear it from a national campaign and get behind a candidate like Gabriel Costilla.
Video: www.facebook.com/…
You can follow him on Facebook: www.facebook.com/…
He has recently opened up his ActBlue, and I’d encourage you to support him, maybe in $27 increments? :) secure.actblue.com/…
NOTE:
I do not work for, am not paid for, etc. by the Costilla for Senate campaign. I of course back Democratic candidates in this state just on my own, so this is not an official campaign item. I get asked this often; I will, in the future, disclose if I have worked/am working with any candidate should I post profiles/etc.