Holland Wins KCK Mayor’s Primary, Murguia Also Advances to April Run-Off February 26, 2013

KCK City Commissioner Mark Holland ,wonTuesday’s snow covered KCK Mayors primary collecting nearly half of the vote.
Holland got 47% of the light turnout on a snowy February day.
His nearest competitor, City Commission collegiate Ann Murguia, received 22% of the vote.
The two advance to the April 2nd run-off.
Based on the strong primary showing, Holland enters the run-off as the favorite.
Veteran City Commissioner Nathan Barnes finished third in the field of five, with 22% of the vote.
Businessman Cordell Meeks III got 7.87%.
Janet Grant Witt got 3% of the vote.
Turn-out was extremely light.
Just as the polls opened Tuesday morning, KCK was slowly digging out of a blizzard that dropped several inches of snow on the city on election day.
According the election office, 6464 voters were able to get to the polls and cast a ballot.
Voting was also hampered by many power outages through Kansas City, Kansas .
The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) said at one time, as many as 15,000 customers lost power in KCK. The heavy wet snow broke down many tree branches, snapping power lines as they fell.
The run off will permit Holland and Murguia to continue the primary campaign’s simmering feud.
Holland’s campaign claimed Murguia not only sat on the City Commission, but on a the board of a neighborhood group in KCKC’s Argentine neighborhood that received money from City Hall.
Murguia denied any conflict of interest.

Here are the complete numbers:
Holland: 3033 46.92%
Murguia: 1454 22.49%
Barnes: 1248 19.31%
Meeks III. 509 7.87%
Witt. 220. 3.40%

UG Comm At Lg Dist 2
Total

Total Votes 2128
Thomas (TJ) Reardon 766 36.00%
Daniel Serda 559 26.27%
Harold (Hal) Walker 803 37.73%

UG Comm Dist. 1

James Connelly 152 18.40%
Victor A. Harris, Sr. 146 17.68%
Winfred Manning. 179 21.67%
Gayle E. Townsend. 349 42.25%

UG Comm Dist. 8

Butch Ellison 320 42.38%
Veronica Knight 118 15.63%
Kendon McClaine 46. 6.09%
Jane W. Philbrook 271 35.89%

KCK Mayoral Forum Set February 1, 2013

One of the first debates of the KCK Mayoral raced has been set. It will focus on mass transit.
The Kansas City Regional Ttransit Alliance (KCRTA) and BikewalkKC has set a forum for February 11, 6:00-7:30 at the KCK downtown Public Library, 625 Minnesota Avenue.
Organizers say space at the library forum is limited. They’re urging people to register in advance.
Check here: https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?llr=gvxbiodab&oeidk=a07e6z18m8ndfb7cdc3&oseq=a016ig93l1s0j
The current mayor, Joe Reardon is leaving office after two terms.
Five people are running to replace Reardon.
They include Nate Barnes, Mark Holland, Cordell Meeks III, Ann Murguia and Janet Witt.
The KCK Mayoral and City Commission Primary is Feb. 26. The run-off election is April 2.

Cordell Meeks III to Join KCK Mayor’s Race January 15, 2013

KCK Businessman Cordell Meeks III is the latest to enter the KCK race for mayor.
Meeks is expected to formally announce his campaign at a noon news conference at City hall.
He is currently the Chairman of the city’s Human relations Commission.
A news release says he’ll try to convince voters “his ability to attract continued economic development that will benefit all parts of Wyandotte County,”
Meeks now owns his own business consulting firm.
The race for KCK mayor was thrown wide open by last week’s surprise announcement two-term Mayor Joe Reardon would not seek another term.
Meeks joins a growing field that includes Unified Government Commissioners, Nate Barnes, Mark Holland and Ann Murguia.