It appears a number of people have brought into the concept of “Being the Change” in Wyandotte, with what is likely an unprecedented number of candidates stepping up to help make change in Kansas City, KS.
Only Chuck Stiles, who represents District 7 that covers Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and a small part of KCK near the Legends, is running unopposed. The rest of the seats had enough candidates to require a primary to reduce the number of candidates down to two for the November general election.
Wyandotte County Board of Commission races are non-partisan, which means candidates run in a big pool, rather than by political party. Here’s who’s running.
Mayor
This seat opened up when incumbent, one-term Mayor Tyrone Garner announced he would not seek reelection. In Wyandotte County’s Unified Government structure, this position serves as mayor of KCK and as CEO of Wyandotte County.
INTERSTING FACT: Four of the six candidates for mayor/CEO are women and three are African-American women.
Candidates Include:
Tom Burroughs is the current Wyco Board of Commission At-Large District 2 representative. He’s served in that position since 2017. Burroughs served in the Kansas House 1997-2023. He worked almost 30 years at Colgate Palmolive.
Mark Gilstrap retired from the UG Finance Dept. after 30 years of service and served in the Kansas Senate 1997-2009. It’s not clear whether he’s just starting slow, not really interested in running, or jumped in the race to make sure there’s a Republican candidate – even though these are non-partisan races – but, so far, we’re not finding a Gilstrap for Mayor website that can provide us with more info on his candidacy.
Gwendolyn S. Thomas is a former executive assistant to the mayor under Mayor Joe Reardon, who held the position 2005-2013. She continued her service to the district in many capacities but eventually sued the UG for discrimination. She says her time working for the UG made her realize she can make the most impactful change by running for office.
Rose Mulvaney is an attorney who serves as VP of Regulatory Affairs at Metro Net, a high-speed internet service provider. She identifies herself as a “passionate advocate for criminal justice reform and workforce development. She currently serves as BPU Board Member At-Large Position 3.
Christal Watson has a long-term history of service in the community. She currently serves as CEO of the Kansas City Kansas Public Schools Foundation for Excellence. Prior to that, she served as chief of staff to KCK Mayor David Alvey and as CEO of Heartland Chamber of Commerce.
Janice DeWitt is a perennial candidate for KCK mayor and advocate for change and transparency in KCK. According to the KC Star and other reports, since 2011 she and her husband have operated the Reola Grant Center for Family Life Development, which has helped feed numerous families in the Kansas City area.
District 1
There are five candidates running for this race that will replace incumbent Gayle Townsend. This district covers Northeast KCK, an older and heavily African-American district.
We identified the early candidates in this race in an April 2025 article. They are:
Darnell Busch, an IT manager at Jade Alarm
Korri Hall, the director of KU Gear UP program in KCK
Victor Harris, owner of Harris Lawn Care and Snow Removal
Jermaine Howard, longtime community resident active as a “teacher, coach, housing navigator and advocate.”
Lisa Walker Yearger is the only new candidate in this race. She’s a local community activist and a member of the Commonwealth Advocacy Coalition. She campaigned against the School Board Bond election, instead encouraging the district to invest first in improving student performance.
All of the candidates are political novices except Harris, who ran for this office in 2017.
To read more about the other candidates go to https://bit.ly/4mUVXnv.
District 8
Incumbent Andrew Davis has drawn four competitors in his race for a second term on the UG Commission. The district covers mostly north central KCK from the Missouri River on the north to the Kansas River on the South. The district’s most eastern boundary is 38th Street and the most western boundary is 83rd Street.
Andrew Davis is a first term incumbent for the district. He works as a senior program manager at the Community Capital Fund Development, a nonprofit that provides grants, technical assistance, and coaching to support under-resourced neighborhoods and businesses in the KC Metro. He’s running to continue the progress he’s made in his first term and vision for a more economically strong city.
Jacob Handy is a program director for High Aspirations who has worked closely with strengthening youth in KCK. “I believe it’s time to step up and serve the community that’s poured so much into me. I’m running on integrity, innovation, and impact,” wrote Handy on his Facebook page.
Mandella Henderson is a victim of former KCK detective Roger Golubski. Not a rape victim, but a victim of his violence. He pulled a gun and placed it to her head. We’re sure she’s more, but that’s all we could find on her.
Nanette Tucker wrote on Facebook, “I stepped up because I have seen problems that need addressing and a community that deserves better than what we have been receiving. This isn’t about power, status, or playing games. It’s about people.”
