The Kansas City Star’s endorsement for mayor in Independence | Opinion
On April 7, Independence voters will choose between a sitting councilwoman and a former high-ranking union official and roofer as the city’s next mayor — and the political experiences (or lack of) between the two candidates couldn’t be more obvious.
Bridget McCandless, a doctor, is a current at-large Independence city councilwoman who has served one term. During that time, the city has seen a vacuum of leadership in some very important positions that are beginning to be or have been filled. Her opponent in the general municipal election is Kevin King, a roofer and former business manager for Roofers Local 20, a trade union in eastern Jackson County.
McCandless and King are vying to replace outgoing Mayor Rory Rowland, a former Missouri state representative who chose not to seek reelection for a second term.
King is a lifelong Independence resident and has been involved in youth sports as a coach and served as a scout leader. As a union rep, King said he’s been involved in Independence politics behind the scenes for more than 20 years. He has never run for public office.
“Me running the Roofers union has put me in a leadership role,” King said of his background.
Being mayor is an important task that should require experience as an elected official, McCandless said.
“You are the face of the city,” she said. “You are an ambassador to the community. You are a representative of this city in important rooms that are making decisions about funding and about regionalism. This is not a job for on-the-job training.”
Despite having never sought office before, King garnered almost 26% of the vote in February’s mayoral primary election, while McCandless topped all candidates with almost 43%, according to the Jackson County Election Board.
Those results should not be ignored. King is a viable candidate for mayor. But experience in Independence government does matter, especially in that seat. McCandless’ time on the council separates her candidacy from King’s, and she is our recommendation in this race.
“You need to come with budgetary skills, leadership skills, speaking skills, the ability to collaborate and compromise and make good decisions,” McCandless said. “You can’t learn that while you are also trying to understand all of the aspects of a complex city.”
Critical time in Independence
Whoever wins the election will take the mayor’s seat at a critical time in the city’s history: The police department is without a permanent chief and new City Manager Troy Anderson is expected to begin his duties on April 13, less than one week after residents cast their votes. To call this moment an inflection point for Missouri’s fifth-largest city would not be a stretch.
Economic development and growing a stagnant tax base are priorities for both candidates, as is public safety.
Both support a recent decision by the City Council to provide $6.2 billion in tax breaks to Dutch company Nebius to build an artificial intelligence center in Independence. The controversy that surrounded that deal has taken center stage during this election. As a council member, McCandless voted in favor of the tax incentives for the $150 billion, 400-acre data center. Although King said he supports the tax breaks, he did sign a referendum petition to force a public vote on the matter. Residents sued after the city rejected that attempt to place the issue before voters.
This week, a Jackson County judge dismissed the suit.
Public safety
Strangely enough, neither McCandless or King would commit to supporting a more restrictive pursuit policy for Independence police. While not hardly disqualifying, maintaining the status quo that allows Independence officers to initiate chases over nonviolent infractions isn’t in the best interest of the public. The hope should be that whomever is elected mayor would push to limit some of these reckless and sometimes deadly hot pursuits.
Data presented by interim Police Chief Douglas Brinkley at a meeting earlier this month showed Independence police conduct far more car chases than any other agencies in the region that have a more restrictive policy. In 2025, IPD pursued 541 vehicles compared to Kansas City’s 137. The same year, Kansas City, Kansas, police initiated only 40 pursuits. The numbers last year were even lower in nearby Lee’s Summit (8) and Blue Springs (12).
In all, Independence police conducted nearly three-fourths of all vehicle pursuits in these combined jurisdictions a year ago, a cold hard truth both candidates must confront without delay.
“It’s easy to say it’s a blanket stop no one ever gets chased for a low-level crime, but I really do think that there is something in the middle. I really want to give the people (an) opportunity to present to me a plan that allows us to think about this in a more nuanced way,” McCandless said.
King said: “Police pursuits obviously are the most dangerous situations for the officers and the public, and we really need to get the balance right. I support the policy that is in place now, but I also believe that there needs to be more training for the supervisors (and officers).”
Hot pursuits and AI data center issues aside, McCandless’ time on the Independence City Council outweighs King’s lack of experience. She is our choice in this race.
This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 5:07 AM.
