Proven Leader. Problem Solver.
Karen
CRNKOVICH for Congress Third District of Kansas
About Karen Crnkovich
Dedicated to Our Community
Karen Crnkovich is an award-winning business owner with strong ties to our community. Whether it’s mentoring other small business owners, volunteering with numerous local charities, or founding her own non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeowners and families in need, Karen rolls up her sleeves and works to find solutions.
Award-Winning Small Business Owner
For the last thirteen years, Karen has owned and operated a heating, cooling, ventilation, and plumbing business in the Kansas City metro area. In 2022, Karen’s company was recognized as an Ingram’s Magazine and Inc. 5000 fast-growing company. In 2023, the Kansas City Chamber named it one of the city’s Top 10 Small Businesses.
Karen has worked tirelessly to grow her business. She has lived the daily grind of struggling to make payroll, navigating supply chain shortages, and managing manpower shortages. Like other business owners, Karen put everything on the line to chase the American Dream and she succeeded, but not without struggle. She experienced first-hand how confusing, complicated, and downright frustrating government laws and regulations are. Nearly half of all Americans are employed by a small business, yet our government does everything in its power to put up barriers and obstacles to success.
Nonprofit Leader
Karen loves her community and is an active community volunteer. She has served as President of the Junior League of Kansas City, MO, a 1200 member, 110-year-old civic organization. She has volunteered with the Susan G Komen Foundation, Kansas City Zoo/Kids Jazzoo, Daughters of the American Revolution, Kansas Federation of Republican Women, Women in HVACR, St Paul Catholic Church/School and St. James Academy.
In 2019, Karen founded Strong Homes, Strong Families, a 501c3 dedicated to assisting homeowners in need with critical home repairs. Strong Homes, Strong Families has made a positive impact in our community by helping vulnerable homeowners in difficult and overwhelming situations.
Kansas is home
Karen grew up the daughter of a traveling salesman and spent the early years of her life moving from place to place, but Kansas is her home. She’s been a proud resident of Johnson County since 2004. She’s committed to doing everything she can to help our community and she will be proud and honored to represent the people in the Third District of Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
ON the Issues
Almost half of all American workers are employed by small businesses. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and key players in our communities. Too often the federal government enacts complicated, confusing, and burdensome taxes and regulations without regard for the consequences to small businesses. Karen supports common sense regulations and tax programs that support small businesses.
Federal spending and the national debt are out of control. We are burying our children and our grandchildren’s futures under a mountain of debt, and every year that mountain just gets higher. No business could operate this way. No family could operate this way. We need to hold our government to the same standard as everyone else. We need to do everything we can to rein in out of control federal spending and to protect the future for our children and grandchildren.
Karen graduated from a public school and believes in the power of an excellent education. We must focus on providing knowledge, tools, and skills that could prepare our children for the future. Parents should have a say in their kids’ education and parents should know what is being taught at school. We owe it to the next generation to provide them with the same sound and strong educational benefits we received.
With employers in Kansas struggling to find skilled workers, it is clear more Americans need postsecondary credentials to prosper. Karen will advocate for vocational schools and training programs that will bridge the skills gap and expand access to career options for our children.
This country was built by immigrants, and Karen supports legal immigration, but we must secure and defend our borders. That is the only way we can bring an end to the flow of illegal drugs and human trafficking coming across our borders.
Karen is pro-life, she is also pro-compassion. This emotional and highly sensitive topic must be approached with empathy and understanding. Contrary to popular opinion, Karen believes there are areas of wide agreement on this issue. We need to make exceptions for cases of rape and incest and to protect the life and physical health of the mother. Additionally, children who survive a failed abortion should not simply be cast aside and left to die.
Karen supports an all of the above approach when it comes to energy. That means we need to continue to promote the production of oil and natural gas resources here at home, as well as the development of alternative energies like wind and solar.