By AP/KCUR
Kansas City, MO – Former city auditor Mark Funkhouser defeated Mayor Pro Tem Alvin Brooks on Tuesday in a closely contested race for Kansas City mayor by a margin of just over a thousand votes. Funkhouser garnered 41,621 votes to 42,631 for Brooks. Funkhouser's lead came in areas north of the Missouri River and Brooks' main support was from Jackson County. After Funkhouser was declared the winner he stated, "Ain't this grand? Ain't this really something special? We have faith that if you talk straight to the voters, they will believe in you." Brooks and Funkhouser were the front-runners in a primary that featured a crowded field of a dozen candidates seeking to replace two-term Mayor Kay Barnes.