Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, with history of abuse, loses seat in Democratic primary

Kansas Rep. Aaron Coleman, who has faced multiple abuse allegations and was arrested twice during his first term, handily lost his Democratic primary on Tuesday to a newcomer who had the backing of the party establishment, according to unofficial election results.

Melissa Oropeza, a health care professional with a doctorate in nursing, appeared to win with 49%, or 1,203 votes, followed by Faith Rivera, a longtime community activist, with 38%, or 923 votes. Coleman, the 21-year-old freshman lawmaker, received 13%, or 321 votes, according to Wyandotte County election results.

Oropeza goes on to compete for the 37th House District seat in the general election against Diana Whittington, the lone Republican candidate. The recently redrawn district lies in eastern Wyandotte County, generally bordered by Parallel Parkway on the north, Kansas Avenue on the south, 94th Street on the west and the county line on the east.

With all precincts reporting, Wyandotte County saw 34.6% voter turnout in Tuesday’s primary. Election officials anticipated high turnout with the constitutional amendment regarding abortion rights in Kansas on the ballot. In the 2018 August primary election, Wyandotte County turnout was 25%.

Coleman has faced calls to resign since he took office after, at the age of 19, he defeated incumbent Stan Frownfelter in the 2020 Democratic primary by 14 votes. He was sworn in as a lawmaker despite criticism and concerns already circulating about his past behavior.

He has been accused of a pattern of abusive behavior toward women, including physical abuse of an ex-girlfriend, as well as blackmail and revenge porn. Lawmakers formed an investigative committee last year and found the abuse allegations against Coleman credible, but they took no action because the behavior occurred before he took office.

Coleman also has been arrested twice during his first term in office. And he was banned from the Kansas Department of Labor offices in Topeka after he berated a security guard.

Earlier this year, Coleman received diversion after being charged with misdemeanor domestic battery for allegedly kicking and pushing his brother during an argument. And he was found guilty of one of two traffic infractions in Douglas County after he allegedly led state troopers on a brief pursuit on Interstate 70 and acted in an “erratic” manner when he was pulled over.

Mike Taylor, longtime lobbyist and retired Unified Government public relations director, told The Star that the district essentially “lost a representative” after Coleman was not assigned to any committees, significantly limiting his influence at the statehouse.

The challenger who defeated him, Oropeza, 45, was born and raised in Wyandotte County and has 23 years of experience in health care. In 2020, she graduated with a doctorate in nursing practice from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. For the past 11 years, she has worked as a nurse practitioner.

She has campaigned on bringing her health care background and “research-focused” approach to Topeka.

Oropeza also previously ran for the Board of Public Utilities.

She secured the support of more traditional and establishment Democrats, and won endorsements from several prominent unions. She also raised the most money in the campaign.

Rivera, a lifelong Wyandotte County resident and a member of the Unified Government’s Board of Park Commission, was the more progressive candidate in the race. Rivera campaigned for Coleman’s seat for roughly two years.

Polls closed at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, but Kansas law allows mail ballots postmarked on Election Day to be counted through Friday. Provisional ballots will be reviewed and counted at the canvass for the election, where final results will be certified.

This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 10:08 PM.

Sarah Ritter

The Kansas City Star

Sarah Ritter was a watchdog reporter for The Kansas City Star, covering K-12 schools and local government in the Johnson County, Kansas suburbs since 2019.