© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Up To Date

Primary Election Results| Kansas City Manager Selection

Army veteran Shawn Paxton, left, gets her voting materials from election worker Karen French on Friday morning in the Wyandotte County Election Office in Kansas City, Kansas.
Carlos Moreno
/
KCUR 89.3
Army veteran Shawn Paxton, left, gets her voting materials from election worker Karen French during early voting in Wyandotte County, Kansas.

Analysis and results of last night's primary elections in Kansas and Missouri, and a look inside the process for selecting the next city manager.

Segment 1, beginning at 4:20: Primary election results are in.

A lot of people in the metro spent a part of their day yesterday casting ballots in primary elections. Many others had already cast ballots in advance. We reviewed and analyzed the results, and asked what they mean for November's general election.

Segment 2, beginning at 34:28: Why picking the next city manager is so important in Kansas City.

Finding just the right city manager is a complex enough endeavor, given the importance of the job in Kansas City, Missouri, but the decision is complicated further when you add a global pandemic into the mix. "What we need to do is really find that person who can walk and chew gum" at the same time, said Mayor Quinton Lucas, who will inevitably work closely with the new manager.

A previous version of this post misquoted Mayor Quinton Lucas as saying, " ... talk and chew gum."

Corrected: August 6, 2020 at 1:33 PM CDT
A previous version of this post misquoted Mayor Quinton Lucas as saying, " ... talk and chew gum," instead of, " ... walk and chew gum."
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As senior producer of Up To Date, I want our listeners to hear familiar and new voices that shine light on the issues and challenges facing the myriad communities KCUR serves, and to expose our audiences to the wonderful and the creative in the Kansas City area. Just as important to me is an obligation to mentor the next generation of producers to ensure that the important conversations continue. Reach me at alexanderdk@kcur.org.
As culture editor, I help you embrace what makes Kansas City fun and vibrant, whether it’s a championship sports franchise or a little-known wonder. I work with reporters to ensure KCUR stories on art, culture, and race fully reflect our diverse home so readers and listeners can take full advantage of what the metro has to offer. Email me at luke@kcur.org.