Mike Kelly, Charlotte O’Hara advance in race for Johnson County Commission chair

Johnson County Commission Chair candidates Mike Kelly and Charlotte O’Hara emerged as the clear winners of the primary election on Tuesday night, setting the stage for a November contest between a progressive Democrat and a conservative Republican to become the next leader of the governing body.

Unofficial results from the Johnson County Election Office showed Kelly, the mayor of Roeland Park, ahead of the pack with 91,558 of the 244,818 votes cast, amounting to 37%. Commissioner O’Hara, who represents the county’s 3rd District, earned 25% with 62,192 votes.

Trailing third and fourth were Commissioner Shirley Allenbrand, 6th District, and Ken Selzer, a public accountant. Allenbrand, who was endorsed by outgoing Chairman Ed Eilert, won 15% of the votes to Selzer’s 13%.

Reached by phone Tuesday night, Kelly said he was pleased and humbled to see his name at the top of the list.

“I think Johnson County sent a clear message that we’re done with Brownback-era politicians or extreme politics that have leeched its way down from the federal and state level and have really threatened our local institutions,” Kelly said. “Our community demands better, and I think we’re up to the challenge.”

O’Hara said during a brief interview that her message of conservative principles in county government, including controlled spending and full funding for the sheriff’s department, clearly resonated with voters. She added that she looks forward to a “vigorous exchange of ideas” with her political opponent over the next few months.

Along with the work of her campaign, O’Hara attributed her success Tuesday to being well known within the community and providing a clear stance on the issues.

“Everyone knows what I stand for,” she said. “They don’t have to wonder about what I stand for.”

O’Hara was elected to the commission in 2020. She is known on the Johnson County board as an outspoken conservative who often questions county spending on tax incentives, frequently a hot-button issue on a board that regularly deals with economic growth and development.

Kelly, meanwhile, took office as Roeland Park’s mayor in 2018. Beyond his work with municipal government, he is also known as a co-founder and chairman of Climate Action KC, a local organization concerned with environmental issues including climate change.

Johnson County has over recent years shifted leftward in a way similar to trends seen across many suburban communities around the country. Johnson County commission races seats are nonpartisan, though local political parties still advertise candidates’ affiliations. Kelly is a Democrat and O’Hara is a Republican.

Despite Kelly’s strong showing on Tuesday night, the general election may tell a different story. O’Hara appears poised to gain ground with at least some of the Republican voters who supported Allenbrand or Selzer during the primary.

Meanwhile, 5th District Commissioner Michael Ashcraft, running for a fourth term, advanced to the November runoff where he will face political newcomer Stephanie Suzanne Berland, a certified public accountant. Ashcraft won 41% of the vote compared to Berland’s 26%.

Voter turnout in Johnson County was predicted to be reach a record high this year, driven largely by the countywide contest and the Kansas constitutional amendment concerning the right to an abortion. As of Saturday, roughly 93,000 of the county’s 456,000 registered voters had cast early ballots. By Tuesday 244,818 had participated in the process, representing 54% of registered voters.

Preliminary results released Tuesday night will differ from the final tally. Under Kansas law, votes cast by mail that are postmarked on Election Day are counted through Friday. Provisional ballots cast at polling sites around the county are tabulated during the election canvass on Aug. 10 and the results will be certified the following day.

This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 11:28 PM.

Bill Lukitsch

The Kansas City Star

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Bill Lukitsch covered nighttime breaking news for The Kansas City Star since 2021, focusing on crime, courts and police accountability. Lukitsch previously reported on politics and government for The Quad-City Times.