Print edition: 
James Clendenin couldn't hide his disappointment.
In his first foray into politics, he lost a run for the state House District 98 seat by 153 votes last year.
"I really wanted to serve so bad," he said.
Now he's trying again, as one of two candidates for the District 3 seat on the Wichita City Council, representing south and southeast Wichita.
Over a lunch of fried pork chops at Fat Ernie's diner in South City, Clendenin said he's running for office again because he "really fell in love with my part of the city" during last year's campaign.
"People have stereotyped south Wichita as a less desirable place to live," said Clendenin, who was accompanied by his wife, Amie. "I disagree totally. There are Asians, African-Americans, Latinos, Caucasians and everybody — well, most people — are very hard workers. They're down to earth, willing to talk, neighborly."
Clendenin, 36, is a machinist for Goodrich Cabin Systems, a father of three children ages 2 to 13, an assistant scoutmaster and an active member of New Foundation Community Church. He's lived in the district 15 years.
The Clendenins have both sung in choirs and other groups since high school, enjoying performing everything from praise songs to Broadway musical numbers. "When we get the chance we do a wedding or two," he said.
Some of the hard knocks he absorbed in his own life, Clendenin said, make him a good candidate to represent District 3.
He grew up in Halstead and entered the aviation program at Hesston College, intending to become pilot. But he broke his neck in a car crash and, unable to pass the necessary physical, sold forklifts for three years.
He had been dating Amie for two weeks at the time of the crash. She is from south Wichita, and after they married, that seemed like the logical place for them to settle.
Medical bills from several surgeries undergone by Amie caused the couple to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and discharge most of their debt — about $25,000 — in 1997.
After he landed a job at Hawker Beechcraft as a machinist in 1998, he took a second job laying floors to make sure the couple never got into debt again.
"He worked 16 hours a day most days," Amie said.
Two years ago, he got laid off from Hawker, but found another job at Goodrich a week later.
"We've been through so much," he said, nodding toward Amie. "It really helps us empathize."
No political past
Clendenin had never been active politically before his House race. He didn't even vote in the four most recent city elections.
But he says he demonstrated leadership while serving as an assistant scoutmaster and heading several church missions to deliver medical supplies, clothes and more to Mexico. On one trip, he said, members of the mission were turned back at a border crossing.
"The next day we went to a different crossing and didn't give up," he said.
Clendenin readily accepts the label of political novice put on him by Mark Gietzen, his opponent in District 3. He says Gietzen's long history as an activist in the Republican Party and anti-abortion movement are what separates the two.
"He's been an activist for 20 years. My agenda is the people's agenda."
After learning that Gietzen had pointed out his failure to vote in city elections in a campaign flier, Clendenin defended himself by saying: "I was working two jobs — out at Hawker-Beechcraft and laying floors at night. I was working very hard to support my family and not be a deadbeat. "
Where he stands
Clendenin sees the development of the proposed Southfork shopping center at 47th South and I-135 as one of the district's biggest priorities.
"What we'd like to see is possibly a hospital or clinic go in there, first-rate dining, entertainment such as a movie theater," he said.
A City Council member, he said, "should just be a supporter to the developers in that area."
Improvements to roads and other infrastructure also are a priority.
Regarding economic development across the city, Clendenin said he would evaluate using city incentives case by case. He favors the Affordable Airfares program, saying there's a 5-to-1 return on public dollars invested, and believes downtown development is "absolutely critical" to Wichita "as long as it's not done at the expense of the rest of the city."
He says consumers should be able to choose their trash company.
Unlike Gietzen, Clendenin thinks former District 3 council member Jim Skelton did a great job representing District 3. Skelton, Mayor Carl Brewer, the Wichita Area Builders Association and Wichita Independent Business Association have endorsed Clendenin, who says people shouldn't take that to mean he's the establishment candidate.
"I'm a CNC machinist, not a crony," he said.
Michael Seeds, who met Clendenin through church, said Clendenin "is very passionate about wanting to make sure that people are taken care of."
"James is just a normal guy," Seeds said. "I think the hard knocks he's gone through have made him more humble and allowed him to understand it's not about him, it's about the people."
Clendenin said the first voter he had to convince in his council campaign was his wife, who "selflessly" agreed to go along.
Amie added her own thought on that: "If you're married to a man that's happy, you know you're going to be better off, too."
