Topeka physician Jim Barnett made Junction City one of the stops on his tour of the state to announce his candidacy for governor.

Barnett told an audience at the C. L .Hoover Opera House that he recognized the importance of the military to Junction City. “It’s not just Junction City. It’s important to Manhattan as well. And it’s not just there, it’s also Topeka, and it’s also Wichita and it’s actually statewide, Salina included. So military issues matter a great deal to me. That will be a focus, if I’m elected governor, that we want to retain, we want to keep their presence in the Flint Hills.”

Barnett, who was an unsuccessful candidate in the 2006 gubernatorial race when he was the Republican nominee, also expressed support for recent action by the Legislature. “We’ve ended the Kansas tax experiment. It had to come to an end. ” The Legislature agreed to implement a $1.2 billion tax increase over two years.

Barnett spoke in favor of education partnering with business, called for infrastructure improvements in highways, air traffic and railroads. He stated that money robbed from KDOT needs to be restored.  He also expressed support for medicaid expansion, for tourism funding, and for a need to keep young professionals home in Kansas.

Barnett is a former state senator.