Johnson County commission chairman Ed Eilert will not seek re-election for 4th term
Longtime Johnson County political leader Ed Eilert will not seek re-election this year, capping a decades-long career in public service and setting up a wide-open race for the top spot on the county commission this fall.
Eilert announced in an email to county staff Monday that he would not seek a fourth-term as chairman of the Board of County Commissioners and that the 82-year-old will retire in 2023.
“I am proud of our work over the last 16 years,” Eilert wrote in the message to staff. “I want to say a special ‘Thank You’ to the thousands of dedicated volunteers who serve our county and communities in all the different ways that make our county a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
“After the first meeting in January 2023, I will miss working with our excellent county staff and their (commitment) to quality decision making in government and our elected officials who share that commitment. What they do is important to provide good government for all of us,” he continued. “Thank you to the voters who have given me the chance to share in building opportunities for our county’s future.”
A retired financial advisor, Eilert has served on the county commission since 2007 and as the board’s chairman since 2011. He previously served 24 years as mayor of Overland Park.
His tenure leading the board has been bookended by crises, first in the aftermath of the Great Recession when he became chairman and now as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic stretches into a third year.
He said he believes the county has succeeded in spite of those roadblocks, pointing to the new county courthouse in Olathe, Meadowbrook Park in Prairie Village and the county’s ongoing work to modernize its wastewater facilities.
“We’ve had some challenging times, but we also were able to accomplish some things, too,” Eilert said Monday afternoon . “I think the community’s going to continue to benefit from what we’ve done for a long time to come.”
The announcement Monday makes official what had been hinted at behind the scenes for months and clears the way for a hotly contested election this fall.
Four candidates have filed for the race so far: current county commissioners Shirley Allenbrand and Charlotte O’Hara, Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly and former Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer.
They and any other candidates who file by June 1 will square off in an Aug. 2 nonpartisan primary election ahead of the November general election.
This story was originally published January 31, 2022 at 5:08 PM.
