Margie Wakefield keeps a busy schedule at her Lawrence law office while simultaneously campaigning for the 2nd District congressional seat. The Democrat is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Topeka.

Last week, Congress was unable to reach agreement on a budget for the federal fiscal year that begins on Wednesday, and so it passed another “continuing resolution” to keep the government running through Dec. 11.

Tacked onto that bill was authorization for the U.S. military to train and equip Syrian rebels in the battle against the terrorist group known as ISIS, or the Islamic State.

And with that, Congress went on vacation so members could campaign for re-election.

Margie Wakefield, a Lawrence Democrat now running for a seat in Congress, says she believes that’s an example of what’s wrong in Washington today.

“The House decided they were going to quit work early when we have big decisions to be made in terms of our foreign policy,” she said during an interview in her Lawrence law office. “I think that Congress should be discussing and engaging in what should be our comprehensive foreign policy right now. This is a very serious time, and Congress should be involved.”

Wakefield is challenging three-term incumbent Rep. Lynn Jenkins, a Republican from Topeka who serves as one of the vice chairs of the House Republican caucus.

“She’s leading this mess,” Wakefield said. “And what we need are people who understand that you’re going there because you’re supposed to be representing your constituents, the people of the 2nd Congressional District. And there are many things that I know I can reach across the aisle on.”

Wakefield knows she faces an uphill battle. Besides taking on a three-term incumbent who is part of the majority party leadership, she has received no help so far from the national Democratic Party, which is devoting its resources to defending incumbents and trying to maintain its majority in the U.S. Senate.

Early life and career

Wakefield was born Dec. 30, 1957, in St. Joseph, Mo., where she grew up and attended public school. She graduated from Central High School there in 1976 and went to the University of Missouri, where she earned a journalism degree in 1980.

She said she considered a career in journalism, but by the time she graduated she knew she was more interested in law and politics. She worked briefly in former Sen. Bob Dole’s field office in Topeka on constituent services before going to law school at Kansas University.

“I learned a lot about the kind of help you ought to be providing voters and constituents when they call,” she said of her time working for Dole.

Jenkins has occasionally referred to Wakefield as “a divorce lawyer,” but Wakefield says it’s more accurately described as “family law,” and she says it’s a good preparation for working in Congress.

“I’ve been doing this for 29 years,” she said. “You certainly deal with a lot of people who couldn’t be more in disagreement with each other in that situation. I learned how to work with people, and I think in (terms of) conflict resolution, which is certainly what’s needed in Congress.”

Political goals

This year’s campaign marks Wakefield’s first run for public office of any kind. And while she has never before been directly involved in the kind of high-power, bare-knuckle politics that Washington is known for, she insists she would be able to face the challenges.

“I’m honest. I work hard. I have an open mind,” she said. “I have my own mind. And I know how to work with people. I’ve worked with all kinds of people in all walks of life.”

Wakefield said one of the most visible examples of Congress’ current dysfunction was the partial shutdown of the federal government last fall when the House and Senate were unable to reach a budget agreement. And she believes it will be a major issue when voters go to the polls this November.

“It was huge,” Wakefield said. “That’s what they’re supposed to do there, is govern. They’re supposed to get the job done. And to vote to shut down the government for 16 days by a congresswoman just infuriated people.”

Although she is running as a Democrat, Wakefield tries to portray herself as nonpartisan. She said the fact that she is getting no help from the national party means she won’t be beholden to that caucus if she gets to Washington.

Asked what she thinks the single biggest issue the next Congress will be facing, she struggled for a moment and finally settled on foreign policy and the terrorist threat from ISIS.

“I support (the mission), but at the same time I think what we have been lacking is a comprehensive, consistent, sustainable method, if you will,” she said. “We can’t just be having reactions all the time to crises of the day. We need a foreign policy that addresses the reasons for why these things are happening in the world.

“Terrorists groups (like ISIS), these things spring up, we know from history, when people are hurting, when there’s poverty, when they don’t have food and shelter and water,” she continued. “What can the United States do to make sure we look more like a friend than a foe? We need a more beans-and-books approach than bombs.”

Wakefield also won’t commit to supporting anyone for leadership in the Democratic caucus, including the current minority leader and former speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who Wakefield admits is an unpopular figure in Kansas.

“Let’s not put the cart before the horse,” she said. “I don’t know because I don’t know what the options are going to be. I’m not into speculating. I’m certainly going to take it into consideration if my constituents don’t want that.”