Voters oust incumbents in several Johnson County city races as newcomers triumph
Three Johnson County cities will see major changes after incumbents lost their reelection bids Tuesday night.
With all precincts counted, in Overland Park, three incumbent council members lost their races, replacing two strident opponents to economic incentives with challengers. Just one incumbent, Holly Grummert, won reelection Tuesday.
In Shawnee, where candidates were divided on taxes and why several department heads have resigned, two incumbent council members lost their seats, and a longtime councilman lost his bid for mayor.
Two incumbents also lost their seats in Prairie Village, a city torn over the council’s discussions of changing zoning laws to allow for more affordable housing. One incumbent held onto her seat, but another race was too close to call on Tuesday night.
Overland Park City Council
In the 5th Ward, incumbent Councilman Faris Farassati lost to challenger Inas Younis, who received 3,370 votes compared to Farassati’s 2,592.
The defeat follows Farassati’s failed run for mayor in 2021, when he came in third in the city’s primary and did not advance to the general election. Farassati has been one of the council’s most vocal opponents to tax incentives for new development.
And in the 6th Ward, incumbent Councilman Scott Hamblin, who often joined Farassati opposing incentives, lost his seat. Former councilman Chris Newlin won with 3,872 votes, to Hamblin’s 2,417. Hamblin had a rocky term on the council, including when he was charged with misdemeanor domestic battery, which led fellow council members to call for his resignation at the time. A judge dismissed the charge.
He also previously owed the Kansas Ethics Commission thousands of dollars in fines, which came after he spent $87.57 from his campaign fund at Men’s Wearhouse in 2019, violating state campaign finance rules, and after he missed deadlines to pay penalties.
The 3rd Ward challenger Richard Borlaza’s narrowly beat incumbent Thomas Carignan with 2,758 votes to Carignan’s 2,579
Overland Park will also have a newcomer in the 2nd Ward, where Drew Mitrisin took the lead with 3,459 votes, followed by Jameia Haines, with 1,973.
The only incumbent to win reelection, Grummert held on to her 1st Ward seat, with 2,764 votes, defeating challenger Carol Merritt, a conservative who previously ran for the seat, with 947 votes.
Shawnee City Council
With all precincts counted, two incumbents lost their seats on the Shawnee City Council, according to unofficial results Tuesday night. And longtime Councilman Mike Kemmling lost his bid for mayor.
Former councilman Mickey Sandifer was the top vote-getter in the mayoral race, with 7,083 votes, ahead of Kemmling, with 6,761.
Kemmling has touted the council’s new direction since gaining a 7-1 conservative majority in 2021, saying it is lowering taxes and no longer “rubber stamping” staff recommendations. But Sandifer argued that the council has ignored staff advice, leading to department head resignations and what he calls reckless financial decisions.
Mayor Michelle Distler did not seek reelection after serving in the role since 2015.
In the 1st Ward, newcomer Sierra Whitted won the most votes, at 2,046, ahead of incumbent Councilwoman Tammy Thomas, with 1,905. In the city’s 2nd Ward, challenger Jeanie Murphy won 1,516 votes, defeating incumbent Eric Jenkins, with 1,253 votes.
In Shawnee’s 4th Ward, two newcomers competed for an open seat, left open by Jill Chalfie, the council’s lone progressive. But that race is too close to call Tuesday night. Laurel Burchfield won 1,698 votes, only 83 votes ahead of Megan Warner, with 1,615.
If the results stay the same, Tuesday’s election has weakened the conservative majority on the council, adding three new members backed by Democrats.
Tuesday’s election came after a tense week that resulted in the Shawnee City Council placing City Manager Doug Gerber on paid leave, over anger that he did not inform officials that several employees had received a sexually explicit video of him. Gerber took over the job in March, and several council members had touted him as the right choice to move the city forward.
He was hired after a challenging couple of years, with several top staffers and department heads resigning from the city. That exodus was a major talking point ahead of Tuesday’s election, with challengers criticizing incumbents for disrespecting staff’s expertise.
Prairie Village City Council
After a chaotic past year in Prairie Village, newcomers — backed by residents upset over how the city has tried to address a lack of affordable housing — did well in their council election bids. One race was too close to call.
Incumbents argued that as home prices and property taxes continue to climb, the city should adjust zoning ordinances to attract more affordable housing for aging residents and working families. But challengers were backed by PV United, a group of residents unhappy with how the current council went about those discussions, arguing zoning ordinances should remain the same, and for more resident input and transparency.
In the city’s 2nd Ward, Councilwoman Inga Selders won 542 votes, defeating Mark Samuel, with 43 votes. PV United supported write-in candidate Edward Boersma. There were 381 write-in votes as of Tuesday night.
In the 3rd Ward, incumbent Bonnie Limbird lost her seat. Newcomer Lori Sharp, whose husband is PV United’s attorney, won 751 votes, to Limbird’s 546. In the 4th Ward, Councilwoman Piper Reimer also lost her reelection bid. Tyler Agniel, another winner backed by PV United, won 842 votes, ahead of the incumbent’s 590 votes.
Running for an open seat in the 5th Ward, Nicholas Reddell, who was supported by PV United, won with 863 votes, ahead of Ciara Chaney, with 569.
The 6th Ward race was too close to call, with incumbent Councilman Ian Graves winning 530 votes, only 14 votes ahead of Kelly Wyer, a PV United candidate, with 516 votes.
Terry O’Toole, who also is on PV United’s side, ran unopposed in the 1st Ward.
The city remains tied up in a legal battle with PV United, which filed petitions this fall pushing to let residents vote on limiting mayoral powers and cutting the council in half. The idea was especially controversial because it would have resulted in ejecting six council members from their seats midterm.
The city asked a judge to rule on whether the petitions were valid, but that wasn’t resolved in time for any such initiative to be placed on the November ballot. Now, both sides are appealing the judge’s ruling that two of three petitions were invalid.
Along with directing the city’s future housing decisions, the next council could continue discussions about restructuring the city government or changing the size of the council.
Olathe mayor, council
In Olathe, Mayor John Bacon hung on to his seat, defeating a challenge from Councilwoman LeEtta Felter.
Bacon won 13,585 votes, over Felter’s 10,141. Bacon, who was first elected to the council in 1995, has served as mayor since August 2020, filling the seat after the death of Michael Copeland. Felter earlier this year resigned from the Olathe school board, where she served for 12 years, as she began her run for mayor. Her council term ends in 2026.
Competing for an open at-large council seat, Matthew Schoonover, won 13,149 votes, followed by Wayne Janner, chair of the planning commission who previously ran for council, with 10,059.
In the city’s 1st Ward, incumbent Councilwoman Robyn Essex appeared to hold on to her seat with 2,997 votes, defeating challenger Chad Carroll with 2,662. In the 2nd Ward, repeat candidate Dean Vakas won 4,061 votes, to Ryan Campbell’s 3,069.
Lenexa mayor, council
In a heated race, Councilwoman Julie Sayers took the lead in the Lenexa mayoral race on Tuesday, where voters elected a new mayor for the first time in 20 years.
Sayers won 6,134 votes, followed by Councilman Joe Karlin, with 5,534. The winner will replace Mayor Michael Boehm, who was first elected in 2003.
In the council races, incumbents had mixed results. In the 1st Ward, incumbent Councilwoman Courtney Eiterich won 1,957 votes, to Bethany Griffith’s 1,038. In Ward 3, challenger Chelsea Williamson won with 1,549 votes, defeating incumbent Councilman Dan Roh, with 1,298.
In the city’s 2nd Ward, Mark Charlton appeared to win the open seat, with 1,563 votes to Jermaine Jamison’s 1,497. Competing for an open seat in the 4th Ward, Christopher Herron won 1,362 votes, defeating Michael Elliott, with 962.
This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 10:20 PM.
