The Kansas City Star’s endorsements in Wyandotte County’s mayoral race | Opinion

Editor’s note: Read the races The Star’s Editorial Board will endorse and why we’re focusing on Wyandotte County’s future.

There are six candidates in the Aug. 5 mayoral primary in Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. The top two finishers will compete in November.

No one can deny the need for change. Problems that have plagued the KCK community for decades remain unsolved: Property taxes remain far too high, while services are erratic. Some roads and bridges are crumbling.

Recent rains have illustrated the ongoing challenge of flood control. Housing stock is inadequate. The health of county residents is poor, and may further deteriorate, in part because Kansas stubbornly refuses to expand Medicaid and Washington, D.C., is slashing public health coverage.

Yet there is reason for optimism in the county, too. The Kansas City Chiefs may soon build a stadium within shouting distance of Children’s Mercy Park, where Sporting KC plays. The American Royal wants to finish building in Wyandotte County.

New high-tech data centers, while complicated, could provide needed tax revenue and construction jobs. The challenge is to use these forward steps to address the county’s chronic problems of spending, debt and high taxes.

It won’t be easy. Outgoing Mayor/CEO Tyrone Garner will be the third straight mayor to serve just a single four-year term. This lack of leadership continuity cripples KCK and Wyandotte County.

The next mayor must reverse this troubling trend by leading with enough vision and transparency to earn a second term. The city and county can’t waste the next four years.

We recommend Rose Mulvany Henry and Christal Watson as the best candidates to bring progress to the Unified Government, and the people.

We also acknowledge a third candidate, Gwendolyn Thomas, who is qualified and prepared for the position. It’s very close, but we think Mulvany Henry and Watson are the choices in this race.

Data centers an opportunity, ‘not going away’

Mulvany Henry is an attorney. She now sits on the Board of Public Utilities, giving her a critical understanding of how the county’s electricity and water concerns can be integrated with development planning.

“What our community needs is somebody who’s going to lead with compassion. They’re going to lead with humanity,” she told us. “But they’re also going to have the ability to get the job done.”

That includes working to procure new data centers in the county, facilities that could produce tax revenue for beleaguered residents. “They print money,” she said. “They are not going away. They’re going to be built somewhere.”

Data centers are a complex issue. They can generate cash, but they must be built in an environmentally safe way, with solid guarantees that taxpayers will be insulated from construction and operational costs. We think Mulvany Henry is well-positioned to lead that discussion.

Watson says she wants an inclusive KCK. “My overall vision is that we make it easier and affordable for residents in Wyandotte County,” she said. “That people are treated with dignity, and that dignity is seen throughout the county.”

Watson is the director of a nonprofit organization promoting excellence in schools. She once worked for former KCK Mayor David Alvey, giving her needed experience at City Hall.

Watson says improved housing options are a top priority if she’s elected. She also insists the UG must have a “seat at the table” if the Chiefs decide to build a facility near the Legends Outlets. She’s right.

Thomas has extensive experience with the UG, and promises to work to bring harmony to the UG commission. Improved housing is also a concern, although she lacked some clarity on the issue.

“I’m a visionary,” she told us. “I believe in the promise of Wyandotte County.”

Thomas is also involved in a discrimination lawsuit against the Unified Government, which could be awkward if she’s elected mayor. She did not earn our endorsement, but her emphasis on improved leadership is a message all candidates should embrace.

Roger Golubski scandal still looms

Janice Witt is a businesswoman who has run for mayor previously. She, along with Watson and Thomas would be the first Black woman to serve in the UG’s top position.

Tom Burroughs is a candidate for the mayor/CEO position. He is qualified for the post, with a long history in county politics.

But being mayor involves more than a good resume — it calls for a crisp agenda and a realistic plan. We think Burroughs has been too vague in outlining the steps he’ll take to bring progress to the UG.

Mark Gilstrap has been a fixture in politics in Wyandotte County for some time. We think his views on important issues are likely out of step with most residents.

Kansas City, Kansas, and Wyandotte County residents must work hard over the next decade to get where they want to be. Some problems will take a decade to overcome: The police department has yet to erase the stain of the Roger Golubski scandal, for example.

The work to bring progress to the Unified Government cannot wait. We urge residents to carefully consider their choices on Aug. 5. We endorse Rose Mulvany Henry and Christal Watson as the finalists in the mayor/CEO race.

This story was originally published July 30, 2025 at 10:55 AM.