TKC EXCLUSIVE!!! JIM GLOVER'S KANSAS CITY STORY INCLUDES MULTIPLE GUNSHOTS FIRED NEAR THE 4TH DISTRICT CANDIDATE!!!

More than any other candidate in the upcoming Kansas City primary election, Jim Glover has had a tough time in the past four years. In fact, it's because Mr. Glover has endured some rather harsh times that I find his story so captivating.

Close local political watchers and TKC Readers know that his wife died not so long ago and he was left with 5 children in his house immediately following the tragedy.

But here's something I recently learned while talking to the 4th District At-Large Candidate . . .

JIM GLOVER HAS REPEATEDLY FACED GUNFIRE LIVING IN MIDTOWN KANSAS CITY!!! IN FACT, GLOVER HAS BEEN DANGEROUSLY CLOSE TO BULLETS BLAZING PAST HIM NO LESS THAN THREE TIMES!!!

Like all Midtown residents he's been walking and had the random bullet move past him. I guess that's something we all take for granted.

However, a few years ago Jim Glover was again standing near his house when an armed robber passed through his neighborhood and he moved past the guy and gunfire to get his kids and neighborhood children out of harm's way.

Finally, talking with the former City Councilman I learned that he was caught in the crossfire of a gunfight at gas station and one young man was shot to death as Mr. Glover stood beside him and phoned for help.

What impresses me is that Jim Glover has stayed in this town despite so many hardships and danger. His commitment to his neighbors and this community hasn't wavered. While these experiences would have hardened so many others or struck other people with cynicism at the odds of local improvement, Jim Glover still stubbornly believes that he can make things better.

At the heart of his campaign is a jobs platform that sounds promising if he can get it to work.

"You want the answer to crime? It's jobs. Give someone a job and you've done more to fight crime than any other method available to local government," Mr. Glover said. "When people have jobs they are invested in the community and in their lives. The simplest and most effective thing we can do to help people in communities stricken by crime is to make sure they have access to jobs."

Again, while listening to Mr. Glover I couldn't help but notice his persistence and hope for the urban core of Kansas City where I see none.

And while I'm always a fan of any story where overcoming adversity is central to the theme, that's not to say that Mr. Glover isn't at the forefront of the political battle in the 4th District. He calls out his opposition when it comes to TIF and big money GOP donations. He also feels confident that his name recognition will help him move past the primary. That's all political stuff and it'll be decided in the Primary tomorrow.

However, what I notice is that Jim's story so closely mimics the Midtown Kansas City experience. Tragedy, struggle and even violence have been a part of his days in this town but he still thinks there's hope to make things better through political representation. Somehow, I hope he's right.