Wyandotte County’s primary election is Aug. 5.
The Beacon has put together a few candidate Q&As and guides to help you prepare and make an informed decision at the polls. Here’s what you’ll find in this Election Guide.
First, we have some key dates to know about, plus a way to double-check that you are registered.
Then, we have a guide to the primary election for the mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.
Finally, you’ll find questionnaires for the four competitive primaries for the Board of Commissioners: districts 1, 5 and 8, as well as At-Large District 2. In total, 13 out of 17 candidates participated in our questionnaire.
Key dates leading up to the Wyandotte County and KCK primary election
July 16: Advance mail-in ballot began. Ballots must be mailed in and postmarked by 7 p.m. on Election Day, or dropped off in person at the Wyandotte County election office at 850 State Ave., Kansas City, KS 66101.
July 26: Early voting started. Here’s where you can find early polling locations.
Aug. 4: Advance in-person voting ends (noon at the election office only).
Aug. 5: Primary election (polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.).
Find more information about the Wyandotte County primary election here, look up your polling location here and check your voter registration here.
Who will be the next mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas?
Mayor Tyrone Garner announced in November that he would not run for reelection this year.
That means no matter what happens in this year’s election for mayor, Wyandotte County will be headed in a new direction.
Six candidates are running for mayor: Christal Watson, Tom Burroughs, Rose Mulvany Henry, Gwendolyn S. Thomas, Mark Gilstrap and Janice Witt.
After the Aug. 5 primary, four of them will be eliminated. The two top vote-getters face off in the November general election.
The Beacon reached out to all six candidates, and we interviewed five of them for nearly an hour each. Gilstrap did not return our calls, but we left him a voicemail and followed up multiple times.
We hope our voter guide will give you a good overview of the central issues at the center of each candidate’s campaign. Read more here.
Wyandotte County’s Board of Commissioners
Five seats on the 11-member Board of Commissioners are up for election this year, including At-Large District 2 and regular districts 1, 5, 7 and 8.
We skipped District 7 because incumbent Chuck Stites is running unopposed. But we have voter guides for the other four districts.
If you don’t know what district you live in, you can find a map here.
The Beacon’s questionnaire was conducted over email, and the candidates were asked questions about public safety, development, immigration enforcement and the budget. They were also asked five “lightning-round” yes-or-no questions.
At-Large District 2
This is the only Board of Commissioners race that will appear on every ballot in Wyandotte County.
Five candidates are running for this position: Andrew Kump, Philip Lopez, J. Michael Tiner Mackey, Luis “Captain Lou” Madrigal and Kalla McLaughlin.
Lopez and Madrigal did not respond to the questionnaire.
Read more about the At-Large District 2 candidates here.
District 1
This district covers northeastern Wyandotte County.
Gayle Townsend, who has represented this area for more than a decade, decided not to run for reelection, leaving an open seat.
Five candidates are running for this position: Darnell Busch, Korri Hall, Victor A. Harris, Jermaine Howard and Lisa Walker Yeager.
All but Harris responded. Learn more about the District 1 candidates here.
District 5
This district covers northwestern Wyandotte County.
Mike Kane currently represents this district but decided not to run for reelection this year.
Three candidates are in the race to replace him: LaVert A. Murray, Alma D. Hall and Carlos Pacheco III.
All three responded to the questionnaire. Read more about the District 5 candidates here.
District 8
This district covers north-central Wyandotte County.
Andrew Davis, who currently represents this district, is defending his seat against three challengers.
The four candidates are Davis, Jacob Handy, Madella Henderson and Nanette Tucker.
All but Henderson responded to the questionnaire. Meet the District 8 candidates here.
