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Lily Wu Juneteenth Parade

Source: https://www.kmuw.org/  Author: Kylie Cameron, Celia Hack, Suzanne Perez

June 1 is the filing deadline for local elections.

The candidates for this year’s local elections are set.

A crowded field of candidates are running for mayor this year, as current mayor Brandon Whipple seeks re-election.

The primary election is Aug. 1.

All races for Wichita mayor, city council, and USD 259 school board are nonpartisan. The top two candidates for Wichita mayor and each council district will advance to the general election in November.

Here are the candidates running for mayor:

Wichita mayoral candidates

Brandon Whipple, current mayor*

Bryan Frye, current city council member District 5

Lily Wu, former TV reporter

Celeste Racette, Save Century II founder

Jared Cerrullo, former city council member District 3

Julie Stroud, music producer, environmental health safety manager

Tom Kane, advertising

Shelia Davis, student at Butler Community College

Look for more information about each mayoral candidate next week in KMUW’s mayoral voter guide. 

Wichita City Council candidates

Three city council districts will have elections this year: districts 2, 4 and 5.

The current city council members for District 4 and 5 have each termed out, allowing for new people to serve those districts. The incumbent council member from District 2, Becky Tuttle, is running for re-election.

Here are the candidates running for city council seats that are up for election:

 

District 2

Becky Tuttle, current city council member*

Hatim Zeineddine, Wichita State University graduate student

Marcey Gregory, former mayor of Goddard and former owner of First Gear shoe store

 

District 4

Bentley Blubaugh, operates Mr. Bs Daylight Donuts and nephew to Jeff Blubaugh

Dalton Glasscock, former appointed Sedgwick County Commissioner, former county GOP chair, Starnes Media Group CEO

Alan Oliver, retired

Judy Pierce, retired, Wichita Hutchinson Labor Federation president

 

District 5

Gary Bond, home remodeler and landscaping

J.V. Johnston, executive director of Guadalupe Clinic

Ben Taylor, Spirit electrician

 

USD 259 School Board candidates

There is no primary unless four or more candidates file for a single race. In the event of a primary, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November.

Last November, voters decided to change the way Wichita school board members are elected, adopting a system where only people living in each board district will get to weigh in on that race. The at-large member will continue to be elected by a citywide vote.

Wichita school board members serve four-year terms and receive no pay for twice-monthly meetings and other work. They oversee a nearly $1 billion budget and set policy for the state’s largest school district, with about 47,000 students. Members elected in November will take office on Jan. 8, 2024.

Here are the candidates running for school board:

 

At-large

Jacob A. Bakk, retired

Jesse Borosky, Wichita State doctoral student

Brent Davis, educational services business owner

Melody McCray-Miller, former Kansas state representative and Sedgwick County commissioner

Harlan Bascombe

 

District 3

Ngoc Vuong, researcher

Ken Carpenter

 

District 4

Stan Reeser, current board member*

Jason Carmichael, real estate investor

*designates incumbent candidate