Gordon Bakken is the Libertarian candidate for Kansas’ 4th District, which covers south central Kansas, including Wichita.

As a libertarian, Bakken strongly thinks the Federal Government has overstepped its Constitutional role in many areas, and as a representative he would work toward restoring a balance of power between the federal government and state governments, he said.

Bakken is a retired aerospace engineer, a Wichita resident and an active member of the Libertarian Party.

Bakken has never held a political office, but he has run for a seat in the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives.

Education

Bakken said he thinks K-12 education is the responsibility of the state governments and the constitution does not grant the Federal government the right to be involved in education.

“The Federal government…should back out of education and let the states do it,” Bakken said. “The states can handle that just fine. They don’t need the federal government’s help and that’s what the founding fathers thought, and I agree.”

Bakken acknowledged that student debt is a major problem for the United States, but said any subsidizing should happen at a state level.

Abortion 

“The Supreme Courts were wrong in making a decision whether abortion is right or wrong,” Bakken said.  “(Abortion) is really something the states need to deal with.”

Bakken added, in his own opinion, abortion should be allowed during the first three months of a pregnancy, but he said his opinion has nothing to do with his job application for Representative.

Taxes

“Whatever we decide to spend we have to have taxes bring in an equal amount of revenue,” Bakken said. “A national debt consistently is unacceptable.”

Bakken said if the U.S. wants to continue spending as much as it does it needs to raise taxes, but he said if Congress tried to cut spending then there would be a possibility to cut taxes.

Jobs 

Bakken said creating jobs is also the state’s responsibility, however the federal government is permitted by the Constitution to regulate international trade and improving trade could go a long way in creating jobs.

“We need to talk to our trading partners and make an agreement that they are going to buy more from us, so that the trade is balanced,” Bakken said. “In other words imports and exports need to be balanced and if we do that we will be making more stuff to send to them, that is more jobs.”

Foreign Policy

Bakken said he favored being “friends with everybody,” but the U.S. needs to defend itself against aggressors.

“In the Middle East right now, we are the aggressors,” Bakken said. “The middle easterners are the victims and we are wrong. We should get out of there and we should try to be helpful to them instead of ruining their countries.”

Social Justice

Bakken said social justice meant different things to different people, but as a Libertarian, Bakken said personal freedom is a top priority for him and his party.

“Everybody should be as free as possible to do what they want, live where they want, work where they want, marry who they want, take a job where they want, do whatever they want, go to the church of their choice,” Bakken said. “So as far as social justice the main path to that is maximum freedom for everyone.”

Immigration

“They (the Federal Government) should make all the effort they can to enforce immigration,” Bakken said. “That means keep people out that we decide not to accept. If they get in, find them and send them back.”