Kansas lawmaker to non-Christian constituents: I’ll “try and convert you”

State Sen. Mark Steffen was asked how he’d incorporate non-Christian views into his decision-making process

open.substack.com

Faced with one of the simplest questions a politician ever hears—how will you represent me in the legislature?—a conservative Kansas lawmaker told a coalition of religiously diverse people that he would “try and convert” them to Christianity so they would see things his way.

Last month, a Kansas-based non-profit group called Loud Light, which “engages, educates, and empowers individuals from underrepresented populations to build community power,” held a lobbying event at the state capitol, where members could meet with their elected officials.

One of those meetings was with State Sen. Mark Steffen, a Republican from Hutchinson who took office in 2021. Steffen is a Christian Nationalist who said in a 2020 Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey that one of his key messages to constituents was “God! We are a Christian nation, State, and Counties. Our rule of law is built on Christian values. Our successes are a result of these realities.”