The Kansas City Municipal Elections were held June 20, with 12 seats on the city council and the mayor’s position up for grabs. Mayor Quinton Lucas secured an easy re-election, but voter turnout was 13%, slightly lower than the 14% turnout during the April primaries.
Mayor Lucas easily won his race with an impressive 80.6% of the vote according to the final unofficial results. His opponent, Clay Chastain has launched multiple campaigns that have fallen short, and once again, he faced defeat.
Aside from Mayor Lucas, five incumbent council members were successful in securing another four-year term and six city council seats were open due to term limits. The city council is made up of 12 members from six districts from across the city, one member is voted by the district exclusively while at-large seats are appointed by a city-wide vote.
The third district at-large race saw Melissa Patterson-Hazley win 61% of the vote, unseating incumbent Brandon Ellington. Patterson-Hazley, has a background as a medical researcher, college teacher, and campaign consultant. She currently sits on the Central City Economic Development Sales Tax Board. Hazley’s focus areas are promoting affordable housing, fostering good-paying jobs, enhancing public safety, improving essential services, and bolstering public schools.
The third in-district election saw the incumbent Melissa Robinson cruise to re-election with 84% of the vote, defeating Sheri Hall. Robinson is a former president of the Kansas City Public Schools board, and recently sponsored legislation to create a commission on reparations for Black Kansas Citians.
In the fifth district Ryana Parks-Shaw was unopposed and will serve another four years. While in the at-large district race Darrell Curls emerged victorious with 56% of the vote, defeating Michael Kelley. Curls served on the Hickman Mills school board for nine years and is on the board of directors for Freedom Inc. His priorities include strengthening public health services, addressing homelessness, improving basic infrastructure and addressing climate change.
The at-large seat in the fifth district represented the first test of a Freedom Inc candidate against a KC Tenants Power endorsed candidate.
At-Large Council Seats:
1st District At-Large: Incumbent Kevin O’Neill won re-election with 72% of the vote, defeating Ronda Smith.
2nd District At-Large: Lindsay French secured a victory with 52% of the vote, surpassing Jenay Manley by just over 1000 votes.
3rd District At-Large: Melissa Patterson Hazley emerged triumphant with 61% of the vote, defeating incumbent Brandon Ellington.
4th District At-Large: Crispin Rea secured a win with 57% of the vote, surpassing Justin Short.
5th District At-Large: Darrell Curls emerged victorious with 56% of the vote, defeating Michael Kelley.
6th District At-Large: Incumbent Andrea Bough won re-election with 72% of the vote, surpassing Jill Sasse.
In-District Council Seats:
1st In-District: Nathan Willett secured a victory with 63% of the vote, defeating Chris Gahagan.
2nd In-District: Wes Rogers ran unopposed and will represent the 2nd in-district seat.
3rd In-District: Incumbent Melissa Robinson won re-election with 84% of the vote, defeating Sheri Hall.
4th In-District: Incumbent Eric Bunch secured a win with 67% of the vote, surpassing Henry Rizzo.
5th In-District: Ryana Parks-Shaw ran unopposed and will serve a second term on the city council.
6th In-District: Johnathan Duncan emerged victorious with 57% of the vote, defeating Dan Tarwater