Wyandotte County looks to elect progressive with history of troubling behavior
Voters in Kansas City, Kansas neighborhoods of Turner and parts of Argentine on Tuesday sent Aaron Coleman, a 20-year-old progressive Democrat with a history of troubling behavior, through to the Kansas House of Representatives.
Coleman picked up 3,496 votes in the Kansas House 37th District election with all precincts reporting on Tuesday, according to unofficial results posted by the Wyandotte County Election Office. That compares to 2,013 total votes cast for the two write-in candidates.
One of those write-in candidates was incumbent Rep. Stan Frownfelter who lost to Coleman by 14 votes in the August Democratic primary. Frownfelter, a centrist Democrat from Kansas City, has held the seat since 2007. Frownfelter was not immediately available for comment on Tuesday.
The other write-in candidate was Republican Kristina Smith. The election results did not specify how many votes went to each of the two write-in candidates.
But Tuesday’s result, barring changes from mail-in ballots not yet counted, could propel Coleman to elected office. He ran previously as a write-in candidate for Kansas Governor in 2018.
Coleman by most accounts ran an aggressive ground campaign during the summer, running on a progressive plank of Medicare for All and legalizing marijuana, policies that figure to encounter resistance in a largely conservative Kansas statehouse.
“This is a victory for the working class in Kansas,” Coleman said in a text message Tuesday night. “The battle we are fighting for, for economic justice, is ongoing but without a doubt People’s Democracy has returned to Kansas after 110 years.”
Coleman, however, would likely encounter resistance, both toward his policies and himself more generally, if he goes to Topeka.
Kansas Democrats have largely disowned him after allegations of abusive and menacing behavior toward women surfaced earlier this campaign season. Some in Democratic leadership have considered denying Coleman his seat, an extraordinary measure available to them. It was not clear Tuesday what route House Democrats would take with Coleman.
Some of the incidents, including allegations that he obtained a nude photograph of a young girl and threatened to circulate it if the didn’t send more, as well as claims of bullying behavior, occurred when Coleman was between the ages of 12 and 14.
A former girlfriend of Coleman accused him of abusive behavior toward her when they dated in November and December of 2019, a time when they were both adults.
Coleman has said he is trying to move on from his past behavior.
In other Wyandotte County results, Democrat Jeff Pittman appeared to edge out a victory over incumbent Sen. Kevin Braun, a Republican elected to the Kansas 5th Senate District in 2018.
According to unofficial results, Pittman scored 6,993 votes over Braun’s 6,864. If it holds that would be the second Senate seat in the Kansas City area to flip to the Democrats. Overland Park Democrat Cindy Holscher defeated James Todd to take a Senate seat occupied by retiring Republican Jim Denning.
Voters overwhelmingly sent Sen. David Haley, a Kansas City Democrat, back to the statehouse with 82% of the vote against Republican challenger Sam Stilwell.
Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City Democrat, won easily over Republican challenger Diana Whittington with 64% of the vote.
Incumbent House Democrats Louis Ruiz, Pam Curtis, Tom Burroughs, Broderick Henderson and Kathy Wolfe Moore all easily survived challenges from Republicans to keep their seats.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 6:38 PM.
