By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Republican candidate for the Big First District seat in Congress, Tracey Mann knows the role of that representative starts with agriculture.
"People ask me all the time, what committees would I like to serve on," Mann said. "The answer is three committees, the ag committee, the ag committee and the ag committee. There's nothing more important than serving on the House Ag Committee. I've recieved confirmation that is something I would get to do, which is really important."
The key to helping out agriculture is continuing to open the economy, in Mann's estimation.
"We've got to keep opening up," Mann said. "We've got to return to life as normal as we can. This disease is not going anywhere. Early on, we did not know what it was. We now know what it is, who it effects, how it effects them. Some people need to take precautions. Some people need to take extreme precaution, but by and large, we've got to get this economy reopened."
People eating a steak at a restaurant as opposed to at home really does impact all along the line.
"When that steak was sold for a premium in restaurants, that adds more value to that entire animal," Mann said. "That eventually gets pushed back on to the producers. When restaurants aren't open, the value proposition, unfortunately, decreases, which puts downward pressure on commodity and livestock prices, which makes it really hard for our producers, our fantastic farmers, ranchers, livestock producers."
Mann will face Democrat Kali Barnett in November.