Democrat Seeks Third District Congressional Seat
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Staff Report-
The seat is held by Republican Marlin Stutzman.
Kuhnle was born and raised in Decatur. In 2012, he ran in the Democratic primary for the Third District U.S. House seat, his first experience with politics.
His dad has been employed with the U.S. Postal Service, serving as a postman in Waynedale until transferring to be lead mechanic in Fort Wayne, where he continues to work today.
Kuhnle’s mom has worked in various jobs: working with children in daycare, with schools as a bus driver and teacher’s aide, and as receptionist at Adams Memorial Hospital’s therapy department.
As a child, Kuhnle attended Saint Joseph Catholic School through the 8th grade and then began his education at Bellmont High School. Kuhnle was active in various sports including swimming, basketball and golf, both as a child and also in high school.
These activities instilled in Kuhnle how all individuals have individual talents, but by working as a team, though you may not always agree, you will have even greater success together, he said in his candidacy announcement.
After high school, he attended and graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and supervision in 2004. Kuhnle went back to school in Fort Wayne in 2007, at both Ivy Tech and IPFW, majoring in psychology and human services, where he had the intention of helping people as an occupational therapist. It was through his psychology classes that he started in a career serving as a case manager with Park Center, Bowen Center and now IPMG.
This past year, Kuhnle married his wife, Beth. She is a third grade teacher at Prairie Heights Elementary. They live in Kendallville and hope to add to their family soon.
In 2008, while working in Fort Wayne with Park Center, he said he observed how political posturing cost hundreds of jobs and impacted individuals due to budget cuts that he assisted with who suffered from chronic mental illness.
In 2012, he said he watched how citizens were held as political leverage to obtain more tax cuts for businesses that continue to disproportionally receive. He said he has been an active member in the community, assisting citizens who suffer through mental illness and who are intellectually disabled for the past seven years, four of these years in connection with Fort Wayne Community Schools and East Noble School Corporation with behaviorally challenged children.
This past year, he also became a member of the Knights of Columbus. He has also held several management positions in retail and with Kitty Hawk following graduation from Purdue.
“Strong Families. Strong Future. Believe” is the central focus of Kuhnle campaign, which is on creating an atmosphere of job growth and investing in education. He said he believes this can be accomplished by developing the skills of workers to compete on a global scale.
He also believes in giving the resources to elementary schools through reforming No Child Left Behind to focus on a full spectrum of learning and accountability. He believes in needing to develop our next generation of citizens and help to create jobs in healthcare, manufacturing and technology.
He also said he is a believer in the need to work to create financial equality and independence while also getting the country’s finances under control through tax reform and elimination of wasteful spending.
This election in 2014 is an opportunity to elect a leader to Washington, D.C., whose focus will be on strengthening our economy from day one, Kuhnle said.
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The seat is held by Republican Marlin Stutzman.
Kuhnle was born and raised in Decatur. In 2012, he ran in the Democratic primary for the Third District U.S. House seat, his first experience with politics.
His dad has been employed with the U.S. Postal Service, serving as a postman in Waynedale until transferring to be lead mechanic in Fort Wayne, where he continues to work today.
Kuhnle’s mom has worked in various jobs: working with children in daycare, with schools as a bus driver and teacher’s aide, and as receptionist at Adams Memorial Hospital’s therapy department.
As a child, Kuhnle attended Saint Joseph Catholic School through the 8th grade and then began his education at Bellmont High School. Kuhnle was active in various sports including swimming, basketball and golf, both as a child and also in high school.
These activities instilled in Kuhnle how all individuals have individual talents, but by working as a team, though you may not always agree, you will have even greater success together, he said in his candidacy announcement.
After high school, he attended and graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette with a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership and supervision in 2004. Kuhnle went back to school in Fort Wayne in 2007, at both Ivy Tech and IPFW, majoring in psychology and human services, where he had the intention of helping people as an occupational therapist. It was through his psychology classes that he started in a career serving as a case manager with Park Center, Bowen Center and now IPMG.
This past year, Kuhnle married his wife, Beth. She is a third grade teacher at Prairie Heights Elementary. They live in Kendallville and hope to add to their family soon.
In 2008, while working in Fort Wayne with Park Center, he said he observed how political posturing cost hundreds of jobs and impacted individuals due to budget cuts that he assisted with who suffered from chronic mental illness.
In 2012, he said he watched how citizens were held as political leverage to obtain more tax cuts for businesses that continue to disproportionally receive. He said he has been an active member in the community, assisting citizens who suffer through mental illness and who are intellectually disabled for the past seven years, four of these years in connection with Fort Wayne Community Schools and East Noble School Corporation with behaviorally challenged children.
This past year, he also became a member of the Knights of Columbus. He has also held several management positions in retail and with Kitty Hawk following graduation from Purdue.
“Strong Families. Strong Future. Believe” is the central focus of Kuhnle campaign, which is on creating an atmosphere of job growth and investing in education. He said he believes this can be accomplished by developing the skills of workers to compete on a global scale.
He also believes in giving the resources to elementary schools through reforming No Child Left Behind to focus on a full spectrum of learning and accountability. He believes in needing to develop our next generation of citizens and help to create jobs in healthcare, manufacturing and technology.
He also said he is a believer in the need to work to create financial equality and independence while also getting the country’s finances under control through tax reform and elimination of wasteful spending.
This election in 2014 is an opportunity to elect a leader to Washington, D.C., whose focus will be on strengthening our economy from day one, Kuhnle said.
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