Bombardier seeking 107th District seat as Libertarian Party candidate

As a third party candidate running for office in Kansas, Bryan Bombardier understands his chances of winning are not great.
Not winning would not be losing for Bombardier, a Libertarian Party candidate for the Kansas House of Representatives 107th District seat.
Bombardier is challenging incumbent Susan Concannon, a Republican from Beloit, in the November 6 election.
Win or lose, Bombardier will have had an opportunity to help continue to build the Libertarian Party in the state.
“I don’t have any delusions, I understand what is going on. I am a third party candidate in a heavily Republican district,” Bombardier said, “I understand what is likely to occur, but in the end it comes down to what the voters are going to say, how they are going to vote. Success in this campaign is if I get the idea of less government out there, and get people talking about it. And maybe put a bug in Susan’s ear that, hey, the voters or our district don’t really want higher taxes. They don’t want more state spending. If I can get her thinking that way then I consider it a success.”
Residents in Cloud County will also be casting votes in the race for the U.S. House of Representatives First District seat between incumbent Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend) and Democratic challenger Alan LaPolice of Clyde.
A question on Sunday sales of cereal malt beverage and liquor will be voted on by Concordia residents.
Bombardier is a 1997 graduate of Concordia High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from Emporia State University, and then joined the U.S. Army and served in the Medical Service Corp following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
During his three years in the Army, Bombardier spent a year each in South Korea, Iraq and Fort Carson, Colo.
Bombardier, following his discharge, attended Creighton University and received his pharmacy degree in 2011. He spent several years working in independent pharmacies, and then returned to Concordia to open Panther Pride Pharmacy in 2016 with his wife, Michelle.
Previously registered as a Democrat, Bombardier officially became associated with the Libertarian Party about two years ago.
“I was more of an Independent, I was just registered from high school as a Democrat,” Bombardier said, “I have been following Libertarian politics for four or five years.”
Bombardier said he fell in love with the Libertarian ideals of small government, less spending more civil liberties, more personal liberties.
“It really spoke to me. I was really kind of politically homeless, honestly,” Bombardier said, “When it comes to politics I see both of the big parties as hypocrites. There is no better way to put it. On the right, the Republican Party, they talk small government but they don’t act on it. They still enact big government policies. At least the Democrats are a little more honest about it, but I just can’t fall in line with big government, the state is the answer to everything.”
When the Libertarian Party in Kansas put out feelers to members about running for office, Bombardier made the decision to enter the race for the 107th District seat against Concannon, who is seeking a third term.
“We are trying to grow the party. We are trying to become a more powerful force in politics. As we see it, there is really one party with two factions and they split up on some moral grounds with abortion, gun control and things like that, but really they are both big government parties. We are trying to get major party status in Kansas, that would be great,” Bombardier said.
Spending and taxation and Medicaid expansion are two issues that helped persuade Bombardier to run for office.
Bombardier said that in the next term of the Kansas legislature there are going to be big spending bills.
“We are going to have a big education bill that is going to have to come up, and they are going to have to raise taxes to pay for it, or cut spending somewhere, and I have a feeling we are going to raise taxes,” Bombardier said,
Bombardier opposes Medicaid expansion in Kansas.
“I am completely against that, and I think that is one thing our current representative has been vocally for, and I can’t agree with that,” Bombardier said.
When it comes to education, Bombardier said that while the state has increased spending there has been marginal growth in outcomes.
“So throwing money at it isn’t necessarily the answer,” Bombardier said.
Bombardier favors giving more control to the local school districts and allowing them to raise taxes if they want to spend more.
“The state needs to empower these districts to think outside the box and do other things,” Bombardier said, “We have two hundred and some districts in Kansas so we pay two hundred and some superintendents. That adds up,” Bombardier said.
A recent study by the Kansas Policy Institute, according to Bombardier, stated that just over one-half of our dollars go to true education of students.
“So if we raise taxes by a billion dollars, five hundred million of it goes to the students or to the teachers, so there has to be a better way,” Bombardier said, “So I say take the state out of it, let the local districts take care of it. I think local control is the way to go on education.”
On the issue of Medicaid expansion, Bombardier believes that helping those in need can also be handled at the local level.
“As a Libertarian I am for local control of everything, charity being one of those things,” Bombardier said, “The social safety net is important, I am not saying tomorrow, if I had absolute power I would cut it. You don’t do that. You do have to become a little more prudent when it comes to decisions in the health care field.”
Bombardier proposes have local charities step in and help those in need.
“I know there is a cutoff. You have got to have a social safety net. But as I like to tell people, it is not a hammock that you lay around in, it is a safety net. It is there to prop you up until you get back on your feet. I think we make it too easy for it to be a lifestyle to be on Medicaid,” Bombardier said, “The vast majority of people on Medicaid are not like that, I get that. And I want the social safety net there, but I see way too many people who spend their entire lives on Medicaid.”