The Star’s endorsements in WyCo primary races for at-large District 2
Editor’s note: Read the races The Star Editorial Board will endorse and why we’re focusing on Wyandotte County’s future.
On Aug. 5, Wyandotte County voters will participate in the initial round of primary elections for the Unified Government’s primary governing body, and those elected will be responsible for addressing issues regarding safety, housing and property taxes.
At-large District 2 incumbent Tom Burroughs has opted not to seek reelection, choosing instead to run for mayor and CEO of Wyandotte County, a position currently held by Tyrone Garner. This opens up a seat, attracting five candidates from across the county.
In the 2nd at-large District, these commissioners represent more than a specific district, and are elected by all Wyandotte County voters. Running for at-large District 2 are relative newcomers Andrew Kump and Kalla McLaughlin, along with current District 6 Commissioner Philip Lopez, former Bonner Springs council member J. Michael Tiner Mackey and retired firefighter Luis “Captain Lou” Madrigal.
However, we must question whether Madrigal is a viable candidate to hold office. Madrigal told a Star reporter he is not campaigning at this time, and a text message and email sent to him seeking information about his campaign were not returned.
All five candidates reside within the 2nd at-large District, which encompasses the southern portion of the county, including regular Districts 2, 3, 6, and 7.
The Kansas City Star Editorial Board recommends Kump and McLaughlin for the primary, to go head-to-head in the November election.
Andrew Kump
Kump was raised in Kansas City, Kansas. His father was a KCKPD police officer for 27 years and his mother was a nurse, who now teaches. He mentioned that he’s married to “a wonderful wife who has really been been a rock through this entire process.”
He’s an attorney who works as corporate counsel for Shamrock Trading Corp Corp,. a company that owns brands focused on transportation services, finance and technology.
Kump has previously not run for office. “This is my first time running for anything. And to be completely candid with you, if you had asked me two years ago if I saw myself doing this, the answer would have been um absolutely not. This is something that I really felt called to do,” he said, after surviving late-stage cancer.
“You get a new perspective when you go through something like that. You really find what’s important. And what I had found was this community and folks that I’ve known and folks I’ve never even met, you know, reaching out to me saying, “Hey man, I heard about your story.
“So just that that support and those folks fighting with me really motivated me to kind of get on the saddle and fight for them.”
Kump who is endorsed by several local unions, said Wyandotte County is at a pivotal moment in its history with discussions surrounding investment in the community and the tax burden.
“One of the ways that we can provide property tax relief is by enlarging the tax base. And that means the residential and commercial tax base,” he said, using data centers as an example of generating a substantial amount of property tax every year.
“They’re paying market rate for electricity. So this type of infusion of capital into our community could go a long way in helping alleviate that burden.”
Kump also mentioned a possible stadium deal for WyCo. “There’s been discussion about the Chiefs and Royals and things of that nature, and I think with my experience as an attorney and as a negotiator, I want to be in the room talking to those investors and those developers because I’m somebody who’s not intimidated by these hard conversations and these complex legal issues. It’s what I do every day.”
Kalla McLaughlin
McLaughlin (she said to call her Kallie), is from Great Bend in central Kansas. She said she is single, and has lived in the metropolitan area for 11 years but in KCK the last five. In recounting her family life, she said she was given up for adoption by her biological mother and has since reunited with her. “I am blessed to have all of my family, recognized both biological and non-biological, which is great to have been surrounded by so many people that care about you and your support group.”
She said she previously worked in the Unified Government as a planner and flood plane administrator, but has not held office previously. She had to resign from the UG to run for office. She currently is an Uber driver.
“And I know that sounds crazy, but it’s been a really great way to connect with people and see communities through a different lens.”
When asked about pressing needs in Wyandotte County, McLaughlin acknowledged that there are major issues in every district. “When you get to the east side, you’re looking at infrastructure and bridges. … As you start to move a little bit more west, we have things like dumping, reopening Turner Diagonal and (a need for) better food access in the Edwardsville area.”
She added that property taxes are the obvious topic on everybody’s mind right now and that the problem was created by “decades of mismanagement.” Her proposed solutions include debt restructuring and more transparency to residents.
Coming from a family of small business owners and a former business owner herself, McLaughlin would like to see an emphasis on helping small businesses instead of always focusing on large companies. “I see consistently how small businesses are pushed aside for larger companies and corporations that have a little bit more money, more representation, a little bit more voice in an office. And I don’t think that’s fair for a lot of those businesses.”
She also wants to explore Wyandotte County’s infrastructure development. “That just comes from my engineering background and understanding how roads and highways and bridges affect everybody’s lives.”
J. Michael Tiner Mackey
J. Michael Tiner Mackey, who calls himself a fourth-generation Dottet, is a passionate KCK resident. He lives in Bonner Springs, where he was a city council member. He said he ran for that office after his brother committed suicide. ”I needed some sort of a mountain to climb to be able to help responsibly cope with that and just try to figure out his path and what he went through. Running for office was one of the things that was helpful to me”
Mackey, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor of Bonner Springs, said a pressing issue is a lack of representation for Bonner Springs, Edwardsville and a portion of Lake Quivira. “I mean even in the legally stated name, it’s Unified Government of Kansas City, Kansas. That doesn’t represent the other three members that are part of it. … None of them have any active representation.”
While it’s clear that Mackey cares about Wyandotte County, several past transgressions, even youthful ones, show a pattern of unfortunate decision-making.
He once pleaded guilty to impersonating a police officer to sneak into a Machine Gun Kelly concert, and two other unrelated misdemeanors. In another case, he pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace in a domestic incident and finally — and more troublesome — he made a plea deal over sending lewd photos of himself to a man that Mackey said had been sexually harassing a friend of his. This case was sealed as part of his plea deal.
His heart may have been in the right place, but we can’t endorse him for this public office because of that behavior.
Philip Lopez
Philip Lopez, the current commissioner for Wyandotte County’s Sixth District, has gotten in trouble for past public statements.
He repeatedly compared BPU members to Nazis during the 2023 election cycle. When called out back then by a member of The Star Editorial Board about the use of such a vile comparison, Lopez, the owner of a tree trimming business in Wyandotte County, doubled down and refused to apologize.
Earlier this year, he disagreed with the founder and club director of Dynasty Volleyball and said during a commission meeting, “It’s kinda funny at that planning and zoning meeting, you paraded a bunch of little Black girls all in front of everybody like you’re trying to help us.”
His statements were taken be offensive by some present at the meeting. He later apologized.
“I have a deep passion for my community,” Lopez told KSHB-TV. “A deep, deep passion. And sometimes my passion, I see how it could be interpreted as an ego trip, but it’s not. It wasn’t about me, it’s just that my passion’s so strong.”
This lack of self-awareness is not becoming of an elected official that we could support.