UDATED: 01/24/25 8:50PM
We updated rapidly on Thursday as details of this incident became clearer. We’re sad that it happened, but it appears both these individuals care immensely about the job they do and serving the community they represent. Here’s the final update to this story after reaching out and hearing from both individuals involved and watching the video.
We hope you’ll take time to learn more about the VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE the argument was about — testing individuals for cancer who are in the area of the 29th and Grove toxic groundwater contamination. Learn more about the spill and funding here.
Differences between Wichita Councilman Brandon Johnson and state Rep. Ford Carr escalated to a point that other Wichita leaders had to physically keep them apart. Caught on video that’s been picked up by several television stations and THE VOICE, it’s clear the men were able to hold back the blows, but not the expletive-filled, derogatory name calling.
The confrontation occurred at a restaurant across from the State Capitol. Johnson, who is on his second four-year term on the Wichita City Council, represents core Northeast Wichita. He and other council members were in Topeka for a meeting to share their policy positions and concerns with members of the Kansas Legislature, who are only weeks into their 2025 session.
Johnson and Carr were both at a reception for Wichita elected officials that included members of the legislature who represent Wichita and Sedgwick County. Carr, who represents core Northeast Wichita in the Kansas House, was invited to attend.
Good news is the disagreement did not rise to the level of fists flying, but state Rep. Henry Helgerson ended up on the worst end of the argument when he was pushed out of the way by Carr. That push sent Helgerson tumbling back over a table, up against a wall and down on his rear end.
Carr says he’s apologized many times to Helgerson and says, in the moment, he didn’t see who it was that was approaching him, because he was focused on Johnson.
WHAT HAPPENED
Carr, Johnson, Helgerson and several other elected officials were discussing funding for cancer screening of residents impacted by a chemical spill near 29th Street and Grove that spread south almost two miles, contaminating groundwater in the Northeast Wichita area both men represent.
In May 2023, the Kansas Dept. of Health and Environment reported it found a rate of liver cancer in the area’s Black residents more than twice the rate of the same population in the state as a whole.
Liver cancer is one of several cancers that have been shown to be associated with exposure to trichloroethylene, or TCE, the toxic chemical involved in the spill believed to have occurred in the 1990s.
Carr was frustrated by the pace at which the City of Wichita and Sedgwick County were moving to get funding in place for the testing. In May 1924, the Sate agreed to provide up to $2.5 million toward the testing and treatment of residents from the impacted area. The funding came with a number of stipulations, including a requirement that the ity and county come up with $1 million to contribute to the effort before the state’s funds would kick.
The city finally took action in January 2025, eight months after the funds were pledged by the state. The county also finally executed a memorandum of understanding for use of $1.5 million of the funding and funding still seems a long way from getting underway.
If you want to learn more about the complexities of the funding, read the related story in this issue or online.
WHAT MADE THINGS ESCALATE?
Carr says, beyond words, things escalated for him when Johnson put his hand up. Carr wasn’t clear whether it was a finger, his whole hand and whether he was coming towards his face, but it was a gesture he found threatening.
“So I’m up out of my seat … and I’m prepared to go wherever it is you want to go. But I’m not going to do it in my seat,” says Carr.
Then Johnson was up and people were holding the two of them apart. One of the individuals who tried to hold him back and Carr pushed off was Helgerson.
“Hey, I didn’t even recognize it was him, because I’m tunnel visioned and focused and on this person that I feel is being aggressive toward me.”
Carr admits things could have turned out worse, but clear-headed individuals helped keep the situation from escalating further.
JOHNSON’S STATEMENT
Johnson returned our text with a text.
“I’m not going to speak about the incident in Topeka. That event will be properly investigated and the video, and those present can speak to the specifics of what happened and by whom. I don’t want that incident to in any way distract from the genuine, positive efforts and progress we’re making for residents to address the vitally needed testing and remediation at the 29th and Grove neighborhoods.”
UPDATE 3:40 PM
Now that we have the video, it appears blows were not thrown, at least not during the video we have. It appears KS Rep. Henry Helgerson who landed on his bottom up against a wall after he was pushed backwards into a table, got the worst of the argument. Helgerson appeared to be the first person who tried to mediate and calm the conflict.
UPDATE 12:47
We heard from the office of the House Minority leader Brandon Rep. Brandon Woodard clarifying that he has not called for a hearing to have Rep. Carr removed from the Kansas House. However, rumors still persist that there will be an effort to remove Carr. Please note this is just Topeka capitol buzz at this point.
The unfavorable and anonymous social post about Johnson was not originally on Rep Carr’s social page, however it was being circulated earlier today around the capitol. Since it is anonymous and because at this point it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with the incident between Johnson and Carr, we are removing reference to it from this story.
UPDATE 12:18
We reached out to Councilmember Brandon Johnson and received the following statement:
“I’m not going to speak about the incident in Topeka. That event will be properly investigated and the video, and those present can speak to the specifics of what happened and by whom. I don’t want that incident to in anyway distract from the genuine, positive efforts and progress we’re making for residents to address the vitally needed testing and remediation at the 29th and Grove neighborhoods.”
Differences between Wichita Councilmember Brandon Johnson and KS Rep Ford Carr escalated to a physical fight last night at a reception in the state’s capitol.
Johnson was in Topeka along with other members of the Wichita City Council for a visit to capitol as part of the kick-off of the annual Kansas State Legislative Session. The fight began at a reception held at a Topeka restaurant for members of the delegation from Wichita and included members of the Sedgwick County Delegation of members to the Kansas House and Senate.
Johnson, who represents District 1 in Northeast Wichita and Carr represents the 84th District also in Northeast Wichita. Video of the two, show them in a viscious verbal battle with individuals attempting to hold both of them back. The verbal battle included a number of profain words including the N-word.
Reportedly the disagreement continued outside and the police were solicited through a 9-1-1- call. Reportedly neither of the individuals were arrested.
According to individuals onsite, there is a call for Carr’s expulsion based on his actions.
Reportedly, the incident had something to do with recently approved matching funds approved by the Wichita City Council to unlock funds from the state of Kansas to assist with screenings for residents living above contaminated groundwater in Northeast Wichita.
FOR MORE ON THAT FUNDING SEE THIS RELATED STORY!
Brandon Johnson is a thoughtful, hard working member of the City Council. He is patient, knowledgeable, and skilled–all of the qualities necessary to creating an agreement from complex negotiations involving the city, county, state and healthcare providers. He does a good job for his district and the people who live there. I can’t help but think he was ambushed.