By JOHN KANELIS / johnkanelis_92@hotmail.com

It is difficult for me to process the election of a guy who represents the congressional district where I once lived, given this individual’s history and the idiotic nature of the campaign he ran to win the seat in the House of Representatives.

U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson is now representing the 13th Congressional District, succeeding longtime Rep. Mac Thornberry of Clarendon, who retired at the end of 2020.

Jackson came to the Texas Panhandle after serving in the Navy. He achieved the rank of rear admiral. He is a physician and served as the doc for three presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

He was born in Levelland, but moved away to follow his military career. He must have excelled, given the high rank he achieved, so I do not begrudge him his accomplishments.

Then he became enamored with the Trump effort to “make America great again.” He became a MAGA-ite. Trump nominated him to become secretary of veterans affairs, which on the surface seemed like a good call.

But … wait! Then came allegations of some hanky panky by the doctor. Trump nominated Jackson to be his secretary of veterans affairs. Jackson eventually withdrew his nomination after allegations surfaced about drinking on the job and overprescribing of medication to patients.

All of that was well-known as he settled in the Panhandle to launch his first-ever political campaign.

Still, despite all that the voters of the region — which cast their ballots overwhelmingly for Trump in his losing race against President Biden — went with this fellow, Dr. Jackson.

I do not get it!

Whether he learns anything about the issues vital to those he represents remains to be seen. I hope for his constituents’ sake he does, that he bones up on farm policy, on water policy, on wind and solar energy issues, on national security … and on what’s on folks’ minds at the grange hall, the feed store and in church.

I don’t feel good yet about the quality of representation my friends and former neighbors are about to receive.

I want to be wrong. Time will have to tell me whether I am.