Make that three candidates running for Jolie Justus’ KC council seat

It’s now a three-way race for Kansas City’s 4th District council seat.

Jared Campbell confirmed his intention to resume his campaign to succeed Jolie Justus, the incumbent who on Thursday jumped back into the mayor’s race.

Campbell had originally set his sights on the 4th District race, but backed out in June when Justus abandoned her bid for mayor after Jason Kander announced he would run for mayor.

Those domino pieces fell in reverse order after Kander dropped out of the mayor’s race, citing post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, causing Justus to get back in the mayor’s race.

“My commitment and my passion never wavered over the summer, it was more the practical reality of running against a strong incumbent like Jolie,” Campbell said of his decision to get out of the race in June. “With the seat being an open seat again, I want to get back on the campaign trail and share my ideas for improving the 4th District.”

The 4th District covers northern Brookside, Midtown, downtown and parts of Briarcliff and the historic Northeast.

Campbell, who works in the insurance industry and is president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, ran for the 4th District at-large seat in 2015 but lost in the primary to Katheryn Shields and Jim Glover.

In 2019, he will run in the primary against Geoff Jolley and Eric Bunch. Others have time to enter the contest. Matt Staub, who had previously formed a campaign committee to run for the 4th District, also backed out when Justus sought to defend her council seat.

Staub has not announced whether he will rejoin the race.