U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran seeking reelection to post
Incumbent Republican Jerry Moran, 62, of Manhattan is seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate in the general election. Moran is running against Democrat Patrick Wiesner.
Moran was first elected to the Senate in November 2010. In 1988, Moran ran for public office for the first time, winning a seat in the Kansas Senate. In 1997, he began serving in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A native of Great Bend and a lifelong Kansas resident, Moran currently serves on the Appropriations Committee, Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Indian Affairs Committee.
Moran graduated from The University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in economics.
He first started a career as a banker and worked his way through law school until receiving his juris doctor in 1981.
He and his wife, Robba, have two adult children.
Moran said he has consistently fought to reduce spending, promote a balanced budget amendment and has opposed increasing the tax burden place on citizens.
“Congress is hemorrhaging money at an alarming rate and must be reminded that spending trillions of dollars - that we do not have - undermines economic recovery today and the future of our children and grandchildren who will have to pay these crippling debts,” he said. “I am committed to opposing reckless spending and reining in big government in a fiscally responsible way to help Kansas families and businesses.”
Moran was one of 17 (out of 435) members of Congress to vote against every stimulus and bailout proposed by either political party. He was one of the first Republicans to oppose the use of earmarks in spending bills.
Moran said he’s stood up to President Obama’s EPA regulations that hurt family farms.
“Growing up in Western Kansas taught me that government can make the lives of Kansas farmers and ranchers more difficult by creating uncertainty and throwing needless regulations, taxes, fees and restrictions our way,” he said. “I believe that regulators and bureaucrats need to let farmers and ranchers be the responsible stewards of the land that they always have been.”
If re-elected, Moran said he will continue to protect citizens’ fundamental rights to keep and bear arms.
“While much needs to be done to prevent violent crime in our nation, more restrictions on responsible, law-abiding firearm owners are not the answer,” he said. “We must redouble our efforts to enforce all existing gun laws, which are extremely effective in protecting law-abiding citizens from each other, and use our legal power to prosecute criminals who misuse firearms to the fullest extent of the law.”
Moran has co-sponsored legislation to fully repeal Obamacare, and he said he aggressively worked to stop President Obama’s executive order to grant amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants.
“I have been consistent in my opposition to granting blanket amnesty to illegal immigrants and have consistently opposed legislation granting driver’s licenses or special benefits to those who enter our country illegally,” he said.
Moran said he is passionate about defending rights for veterans, especially their access to quality health care.
“In a diverse and rural state like ours, I have sought to create new avenues of access to health care for our nation’s veterans,” he said. “When many service members were forced to drive hundreds of miles or wait weeks, if not months, for care, I proposed legislation to allow veterans who lived more than 40 miles from a VA hospital or Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, or who faced a delay of more than 30 days, to seek care with their local doctor.”
Moran is pro-life and said he was one of the first members of the Senate to co-sponsor legislation to ban the use of taxpayer dollars to fund Planned Parenthood.
“I believe life is precious and deserves our respect and protection,” he said.
Note: Information for this election profile was gathered from Moran’s campaign website, https://moranforkansas.com
