MEET HARTZELL

I’m Hartzell Gray. I’m an activist, community organizer, radio host, and lifelong Kansas Citian.

I was raised by working-class parents in neighborhoods where love and  solidarity  meant everything, where the community looked out for each other, and where injustice was never just a concept — it was personal.

Over the years, I have amplified the lived experiences of his working class neighbors, helped organize tenant unions, stood shoulder to shoulder with youth-led campaigns demanding justice, and fought to center the voices of those pushed to the margins.

I’m not running for Congress to play politics. I’m running to fight for a just economy, affordable housing, universal healthcare, and a future where working people come first.

I know that real change doesn’t come from the top — it starts with us.

Why I’m Running

Our District deserves more than speeches. Rent is too high. Wages are too low. Healthcare is out of reach.

And the same politicians keep protecting the same donors while telling us to wait our turn. We’ve waited long enough. We’re being priced out — not just of our homes, but of a life of dignity. We’re working harder than ever and falling further behind, while elected leaders act like this is just the way things are. They’ve accepted a crisis as normal — and we’re the ones paying the price.

I’m running because it doesn’t have to be this way.

This campaign isn’t about managing the crisis — it’s about ending it.

It’s about putting the needs of our district first. Not corporations, not wealthy donors, not political insiders. It’s about building something better: a city and a country where everyone can live with dignity, where housing and healthcare are human rights, and where the people who keep our communities running are finally prioritized. It’s also about meeting this moment — a moment defined by economic struggle, racial injustice, and a climate crisis we can’t afford to ignore — with the leadership it demands.

These times call for a different kind of politics. One that’s bold, honest, people-powered, and rooted in justice. I’m not running to play politics. I’m running to fight — for working families, for a livable planet, and for a future where our district isn’t left behind, but leads the way. The future we deserve won’t be handed to us — we have to build it together.

Our Residents deserve results. Not someday. Not next term. Now.