Politics

Watson to lead new-look commission

by Info Views: 93
Christal Watson was elected Tuesday as the Mayor/CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan. (Photo courtesy of Watson campaign)

Christal Watson will be the new mayor/CEO of the Unified Government after Wyandotte County voters went to the polls Tuesday. Three other newcomers will join Watson on the UG commission dais: Jermaine Howard (District 1), Carlos Pacheco III (District 5), and Andrew Kump (At-Large 2).

Howard will replace Gayle Townsend, who represented her northeast district since 2013. Pacheco will take the District 5 seat currently held by the retiring Mike Kane, representing the northwest.

Kump will represent At-Large District 2, which covers the northern half of the county. He bested Phil Lopez, who is also the incumbent in District 6, which was not up for election. The two rivals will for now be colleagues on the commission.

Gary Bradley-Lopez will join the BPU Board of Directors, taking over for the retiring Mary Gonzales, who has been on the board since 2001. Bradley-Lopez was second in August’s primary behind Lisa Walker Yeager, but won handily as Yeager has been facing criminal assault charges.

With 18,168 of the county’s 92,331 registered voters (19.7%) casting a ballot, turnout was slightly higher than the 19.0% that voted in last mayoral election in 2021.

Unofficial final results as of Nov. 5

Unified Government CEO/Mayor

  • Christal Watson – 9,516 votes (53.7%)
  • Rose Mulvany Henry – 8,092 votes (45.7%)
  • Write-In – 113 votes (0.6%)

Unified Government Commissioner At-Large District 2

  • Andrew Kump – 8,936 votes (53.1%)
  • Philip Lopez – 7,853 votes (46.6%)
  • Write-In – 57 votes (0.3%)

Unified Government Commissioner District 1

  • Jermaine Howard – 1,350 votes (71.4%)
  • Lisa Walker Yeager – 534 votes (28.2%)
  • Write-In – 7 votes (0.4%)

Unified Government Commissioner District 5

  • Carlos Pacheco, III – 3,193 votes (66.0%)
  • LaVert A. Murray – 1,630 votes (33.7%)
  • Write-In – 15 votes (0.3%)

Unified Government Commissioner District 7

  • Chuck Stites – 1,951 votes (98.2%)
  • Write-In – 36 votes (1.8%)

Unified Government Commissioner District 8

  • Andrew Davis – 1,206 votes (53.6%)
  • Jacob Handy – 1,031 votes (45.9%)
  • Write-In – 11 votes (0.5%)

Wyandotte County Sheriff

  • Daniel Soptic – 11,196 votes (64.8%)
  • Celisha Towers – 6,025 votes (34.9%)
  • Write-In – 44 votes (0.3%)

BPU At-Large Position 1

  • Gary Bradley-Lopez – 8,160 votes (55.4%)
  • Lisa Walker Yeager – 6,475 votes (44.0%)
  • Write-In – 90 votes (0.6%)

BPU At-Large Position 2

  • David Haley – 7,989 votes (52.7%)
  • David Alvey – 7,093 votes (46.8%)
  • Write-In – 88 votes (0.6%)

BPU District 2

  • Chase Cook – 3,070 votes (50.1%)
  • Neal Palmer – 3,019 votes (49.3%)
  • Write-In – 37 votes (0.6%)

KCKCC Board of Trustees (Top 3 elected)

  • Linda Hoskins Sutton – 10,374 votes (37.5%)
  • Geoffrey Kump – 7,156 votes (25.9%)
  • Joe Caiharr – 5,315 votes (19.2%)
  • Brad Isnard – 4,645 votes (16.8%)
  • Write-In – 167 votes (0.6%)

KCKCC Board of Trustees (Unexpired Term)

  • Alex Sanchez – 5,651 votes (38.1%)
  • Jammie A. Johnson – 5,441 votes (36.7%)
  • Mary T. Ricketts – 3,689 votes (24.9%)
  • Write-In – 59 votes (0.4%)

Turner School District (USD 202) Board (Top 3 elected)

  • Kay Stone – 1,062 votes (33.7%)
  • Joy D. Beery – 832 votes (26.4%)
  • Steve Russell – 650 votes (20.6%)
  • Jeff Davidson – 579 votes (18.4%)
  • Write-In – 27 votes (0.9%)

Piper School District (USD 203) Board (Top 3 elected)

  • Melanie Bakarich – 1,602 votes (21.7%)
  • Patty Jurich – 1,263 votes (17.1%)
  • Julian A. Wells – 1,237 votes (16.8%)
  • Alexander Morales – 1,157 votes (15.7%)
  • Mark Gilstrap – 1,074 votes (14.6%)
  • Scott Grause – 1,018 votes (13.8%)
  • Write-In – 24 votes (0.3%)

Bonner Springs/Edwardsville School District (USD 204) Board (Top 3 elected)

  • Kimberly Beets – 1,008 votes (28.5%)
  • Ashley Razak – 961 votes (27.2%)
  • Bonnie Mejean – 896 votes (25.4%)
  • John A. McCaughrean – 656 votes (18.6%)
  • Write-In – 13 votes (0.4%)

Kansas City, Kansas School District (USD 500) Board (Top 3 elected)

  • Wanda Brownlee Paige – 4,926 votes (23.8%)
  • Joycelyn Strickland-Egans – 4,125 votes (19.9%)
  • Pamela Penn-Hicks – 3,591 votes (17.4%)
  • Rachel Russell – 3,201 votes (15.5%)
  • Josh Young – 2,428 votes (11.7%)
  • Sheyvette Dinkens – 2,343 votes (11.3%)
  • Write-In – 64 votes (0.3%)

Bonner Springs City Council Ward 1

  • Cassandra Long – 173 votes (98.9%)
  • Write-In – 2 votes (1.1%)

Bonner Springs City Council Ward 2

  • Dani Gurley – 148 votes (96.7%)
  • Write-In – 5 votes (3.3%)

Bonner Springs City Council Ward 3

  • Rodger D. Shannon – 240 votes (96.4%)
  • Write-In – 9 votes (3.6%)

Bonner Springs City Council Ward 4

  • Christine Wood – 271 votes (97.1%)
  • Write-In – 8 votes (2.9%)

Edwardsville Mayor

  • Carolyn Caiharr – 419 votes (96.1%)
  • Write-In – 17 votes (3.9%)

Edwardsville City Council At-Large (Top 2 elected)

  • Margaret Shriver – 330 votes (53.3%)
  • Christy Everhart – 278 votes (44.9%)
  • Write-In – 11 votes (1.8%)

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