July 18, 2026
Kansas’ Third Congressional District has long been an anomaly in a deeply Republican state — a suburban, highly educated, economically strong region that often responds to national trends differently than the rest of Kansas.
For several years, Representative Sharice Davids has served the district with a focus on federal programs, tribal advocacy, and some bipartisan infrastructure work, such as supporting routine highway modernization funding that Congress renews every cycle.
Much of her legislative portfolio centers on administrative adjustments — like requiring USDA to notify tribes before closing rural field offices or advancing small aviation‑safety updates — important in their own lanes but far removed from the operational challenges facing Kansas communities today.
Her aviation safety vote, for example, was simply another procedural FAA housekeeping measure — the legislative equivalent of grabbing a cookie while walking past the kitchen and handing it to a friend.
As Eric often jokes, “I want her P.R. team.”
Davids has mastered the art of showing up for carefully selected events, projecting visibility without offering much depth. Many constituents describe her answers as thin, surface‑level, or scripted, and note that she has voted with the Joe Biden agenda nearly 100% of the time.
Over the years, she has developed a reputation for being quiet, reserved, and largely absent from the district’s more challenging conversations — a placeholder in a district that has historically pushed back against the national Democratic machine. This impression is also why many believe she consistently declines debates: the risk of unscripted, substantive engagement simply doesn’t fit the tightly managed public persona her team maintains.
Eric Jenkins: Experience That Protects
Where Davids’ record leans heavily on federal administrative adjustments, Eric Jenkins’ career has been defined by action, readiness, and community protection. His background spans more than three decades of military service — Infantry, Military Intelligence, Special Forces, and Military Police — culminating in his retirement as a Colonel. He commanded a Special Forces A‑Team, led a Military Police Battalion, and served as a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His highest award, the Legion of Merit, reflects exceptionally meritorious conduct over a lifetime of service.
Beyond the military, Eric spent nearly 30 years at FEMA, managing disaster mitigation, response, recovery, and emergency preparedness. He served as the Lead Federal Official on presidentially declared disasters, chaired regional interagency committees, and oversaw nuclear emergency preparedness for six power plants across multiple states. His work was not theoretical — it was operational, hands‑on, and often conducted in the middle of real crises.
Former Assistant Director Bob Bissell shared this about his time working with Eric:
“Eric was the Director and I was essentially his Assistant Director during our years together at FEMA. We ran the National Flood Insurance Program for state and local governments, and we were responsible for major emergency systems — everything from evacuation planning around nuclear plants to coordinating broadband communications, roadblocks, and interagency response. Sometimes local officials thought we were overreaching, especially when our exercises exposed weaknesses they didn’t want to see. But that was the job: identify deficiencies, fix them, and make sure the public was protected.”
“What impressed me most about Eric was how he handled poor performance or incompetence. In government work, it’s common for people to shuffle people around and hope the problem disappears. Eric never did that. He confronted issues directly, corrected them, and did it with a calm, steady presence. He was cool under pressure, fair with people, and absolutely committed to getting things right.”
“I also want to say something that doesn’t get said enough: most FEMA employees are hardworking, dedicated professionals. The media often focuses on the negative, but during crises we had strong support from the federal government, and most people in FEMA truly strove to do well. Eric embodied that professionalism.”
At home in Shawnee, Eric served 20 years on the Planning Commission and eight years on City Council, including two as Council President. He expanded citizen participation in development decisions, revitalized downtown Shawnee through public‑private partnerships, created accessible small‑business relief during COVID, and saved taxpayers millions by advancing municipal bond issuance during historically low interest rates.
His leadership has always been measured by results people can see — safer roads, stronger small businesses, empowered citizens, and communities better prepared for the unexpected.
Procedural vs. Operational Leadership
The contrast between Davids and Jenkins is not about personality or biography — it is about the type of leadership the district needs now.
Davids’ legislative record is dominated by administrative adjustments, procedural updates, consultation requirements, and narrowly tailored federal programs. These are important in their own lanes, but they do not address the operational realities facing Kansas communities — emergency management, public safety, crisis response, infrastructure resilience, and the day‑to‑day challenges of local governance.
Eric Jenkins’ career, by contrast, has been forged in military operations, disaster leadership, interagency coordination, crisis management, community protection, and hands‑on problem‑solving. His experience is not theoretical or symbolic — it is practical, tested, and grounded in decades of direct service.
Insights From Eric’s Community Conversations
To deepen the understanding of how Eric views community needs and the concerns he hears from residents, here are two reflections he shared in response to recent questions.
Where do you see gaps between what people expect from leadership and what they are getting?
“I get the impression that people are feeling that their political leaders aren’t listening to them. They feel that not enough emphasis is being placed on kitchen table issues, i.e., boosting their purchasing power, career opportunities, heavy tax burden, cost of housing and childcare, quality schools and ability to access health care, gas prices and more. Of course, they care about national defense, election fraud, government fraud, waste and abuse, wars, international relations and so on, but being able to meet the requirements of cost of living is the priority for most. They want to be heard, and they want to actually see something being done to address their issues. In all fairness, the current administration is doing many things to address these affordability issues that became so pronounced under the last administration, but sometimes fixing a mess takes time. Better messaging would be beneficial in improving the outlook by many that nothing is being done.”
What are some of the biggest challenges facing Johnson County?
“Lack of strong, visionary leadership. Johnson County has been transitioned into a purple county. The county government and city governments have migrated to liberal rule. Taxation is becoming almost unbearable for many residents who are struggling to pay their property taxes. Long time residents are being priced out of their homes. School districts achievement standards have been significantly deteriorated despite large increases in expenditure per student. Local governments spend beyond their means increasing the debt that will likely require even greater tax increases. Affordable housing for our young people is a big problem. Average people are unable to purchase a home until their forties. Our bright, educated young people leave the area to find better career opportunities. Why aren’t we generating those opportunities here? We need leadership with vision and strength to address these intrenched issues.”
The Real-World Pressures Facing the District
These reflections point to the everyday pressures residents are navigating — affordability, childcare, housing, schools, and the sense that local government is drifting without a clear plan. They also highlight deeper structural challenges in Johnson County, from rising taxes to deteriorating achievement standards and the difficulty young families face in building a future here. Taken together, these concerns frame the broader environment in which operational, community‑focused leadership becomes essential, setting the stage for the perspectives offered by those who have worked alongside Eric in high‑stakes, real‑world settings.
Endorsements From Local Leaders
Former Shawnee Council member Dr. Mike Kemmling said:
“One example was when we had to address the city’s healthcare costs. Shawnee employees were having 95% of their healthcare paid by the city, and we told them — directly, in front of them — that they needed to contribute more to save the city money. It was extremely unpopular. Everyone else just wanted to hand out bonuses and pass the problem to the next elected official. Eric wanted to address it head‑on.”
“He is driven, consistent, and highly intelligent. And when we finally got some good conservatives on the Shawnee council, we were able to lower the mill levy three consecutive times by making the budget work better. Eric was a key part of that.”
“He would be a great State Congressman.”
Community Realities and Leadership Needs
These reflections point to the everyday pressures residents are navigating — affordability, childcare, housing, schools, and the sense that local government is drifting without a clear plan. They also highlight deeper structural challenges in Johnson County, from rising taxes to deteriorating achievement standards and the difficulty young families face in building a future here. Taken together, these concerns frame the broader environment in which operational, community‑focused leadership becomes essential, setting the stage for the perspectives offered by those who have worked alongside Eric in high‑stakes, real‑world settings.
As Johnson County and the broader Third District navigate complex pressures, the call for practical, community-focused leadership has never been clearer.
