To All Kansas Third District Constituents:

2010's election will be one of the most critical ones in recent memory. Our Constitution has been under relentless attack and as a Tea Party Candidate I am committed to stop the pillaging of our freedoms. I raised my hand and volunteered my services back in January 2009. Since then I have committed all my time, resources and energy to this cause - protecting our Constitution.

I am not your typical candidate. I am not a career politician. I also don't see myself as a politician. I see myself as a patriot. A man with a passion for America and my fellow countrymen! That to me, qualifies me as a potential congressman, because I want to do what is best for the people, not my career.

Since Dennis Moore's retirement the third district race has become a highly contended one, with new candidates coming forward almost weekly. This is problematic because not all the Republican candidates are conservative and thus worthy of the title: Tea Party Candidate. I truly believe that only a true Tea Party Candidate can make the decisions in Washington DC that Americans need to restore our country to greatness.

I was contacted today by a person on a rival campaign urging me, and other Tea Party Candidates, to meet and decide which one is the best. Ultimately, sending only one to take on the moderates! This person's point of view is valid and very much appreciated. If the Tea Partiers don't stick together, the threat of the third district getting another Dennis Moore is very real. However, this person has a vested interest in one of my opponents and all the arguments and points brought up were in favor of that opponent. The opponent in question, an ambitious career politician, is in my opinion, not the best Tea Party Candidate. A true Tea Party Candidate truly loves our Constitution, vehemently opposes any threat to the Constitution and defends it in spite of pressure from constituents with deep pockets!

I have been criticized for my lack of legislative experience, my lack of legal knowledge and my lack of understanding of how politicians ‘do things'. To me, that is not a con, but rather a pro. It's the status quo that has brought us to these crossroads. It's the political elitists that need to be overcome! We need someone ‘of the people' there. Someone with their ear to the ground and their heart passionate for the wellbeing of their neighbors! Someone who knows financial struggles! Someone who sees the suffering of impoverished and disadvantaged fellow Americans every day! Someone who has a track record of reaching out to the community every single day! Not another emotionally and physically detached politician with ambitions of grandeur. We need ‘one of us' to represent us. I am ‘one of us'.

Therefore I am not going to restrict the Third District Race to only the one Tea Party Candidate deemed worthy by the ‘insiders', but rather keep my name in the hat. My fellow Americans will make the best decision for this district, and in the spirit of democracy and freedom of choice, it is my duty to give them options and not to restrict their decision-making.

Your Servant,

SSgt. Dan Gilyeat