Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. wins reelection. Who won other county seats?
Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. defeated Republican challenger Theresa Galvin to keep the seat he has held since 2016, according to unofficial election results from the Kansas City and Jackson County election boards. White’s campaign claimed victory around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday.
White received just over 55% of the vote with 117,778 votes, to Galvin’s 95,217 votes.
All of Jackson County’s 129 precincts and Kansas City’s 116 precincts have been accounted for.
“Once again, I am honored by the voters’ support in my continued leadership in Jackson County,” said White in his campaign’s press release Tuesday evening. Neither White nor Galvin were available for comment Tuesday night.
Galvin, White’s challenger, served two terms as the county legislator for District 6 before giving up her seat to run against White for executive. Galvin had support among Republicans in the eastern part of the county, but her victory would have upset a nearly 100-year precedent of Democratic county executives in Jackson County.
White’s popularity took a hit after facing criticism for his handling of the county’s reassessment process, mask mandates during the pandemic and tiffs with the county legislature. In August he narrowly won the Democratic nomination against primary challenger Stacy Lake.
In the final days of his campaign, White proposed using $1 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds the county has on hand to help women get abortions outside of Missouri, which has an almost total abortion ban.
White will once again oversee the property tax reassessment process, which was a point of tension during the campaign.
Jackson County Legislators
Democrats have held on to seven of the legislature’s nine seats according to the unofficial results posted by Jackson County and Kansas City election boards. The 5th and 6th districts have gone to Republican candidates Jeanie Lauer and Sean Smith, respectively.
Lauer, along with District 2 Democrat Venessa Huskey and District 4 Democrat Daron McGee, ran unopposed. Here’s how each district’s race played out.
District 1
Democrat Manuel “Manny” Abarca IV won with just over 78% of the vote, defeating Republican Christina McDonough Hunt.
“You should be empowered by your county government, not restricted,” Abarca told The Star as part of our voter guide candidate survey. “From the unincorporated areas to the inner city of KCMO, we must do more for those who have the least.”
Abarca wrote in the candidate survey that his priorities for the county legislature include creating a 12-month payment programs for property taxes, funding mental health reforms, distributing public school money equitably and bringing business to large investments like the Truman Sports Complex. In August, he beat challengers Geoff Gerling and Justice Horn for the Democratic nomination.
District 2
Democrat Venessa Huskey won with nearly 97% of the vote. Huskey ran unopposed.
“If the current tax assessment is justified, at this point I would like property taxes to stay the same at least for the next 10 years,” Huskey told The Star in our voter guide candidate survey. In August, she beat challengers Lorenzo Johnson and Mitchell W. Sudduth for the Democratic nomination.
District 3
Democrat Charlie Franklin won with around 51.7% of the vote, defeating Republican April LaJune McGill.
“The emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring all taxpayers are treated fairly,” Franklin told The Star in our voter guide candidate survey. He said he hopes to increase health services and services through the parks department. In August, he ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
District 4
Democrat DaRon McGee won with just under 96% of the vote. McGee ran unopposed.
In August, McGee beat challenger Michael Ricardo Brown for the Democratic nomination. He will replace Dan Tarwater, the longest-serving member of the legislature, who is stepping down after 28 years to run for Kansas City Council in 2023. McGee did not respond to The Star’s voter guide candidate survey.
District 5
Republican Jeanie Lauer won with just over 95% of the vote. Lauer ran unopposed.
Lauer ran unopposed for the Republican nomination in August. She did not respond to The Star’s voter guide candidate survey.
District 6
Republican Sean Smith won with around 53.3% of the vote, defeating Democrat Amanda Toomey.
In August, Smith beat former Lee’s Summit city council member Trish Carlyle, current Lee’s Summit city council member Phyllis Edson and Roberta Gough for the Republican nomination. Smith did not respond to The Star’s candidate survey.
District 1 at-large
Democrat Jalen Anderson won with just under 59% of the vote, defeating Republican Bill E. Kidd.
Anderson supports “a more individualized approach so that we can evaluate the tax burden on our constituents,” as well as a 12-month payment program to allow residents to pay their property taxes over the course of the year, according to his responses in The Star’s voter guide. In August, he ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
District 2 at-large
Democrat Donna Peyton won with just over 59% of the vote, defeating Republican John J. Murphy.
Peyton told The Star in our voter guide candidate survey that she hopes to limit property valuation to 50-60% for taxation purposes, make legislature meetings more accessible to the public and ensure that new development creates jobs for county residents rather than out-of-town contractors.
“New development should prioritize what adds the most value to our county and its future,” she wrote in the voter guide.
In August, Peyton beat challengers Zac Sweets and Ryan Meyer for the Democratic nomination. She will replace Democrat Crystal Williams, who is retiring after 12 years in the legislature.
District 3 at-large
Democrat Megan Marshall won with just over 60% of the vote, defeating Republican Lance Dillenschneider.
A Lee’s Summit school board member, Marshall defeated challengers Delmira Quarles and incumbent Tony Miller in August for the Democratic nomination. Miller had held the position since 2015. Marshall did not respond to The Star’s voter guide survey.
Note: The results above won’t be official until each county’s board of canvassers certifies them. Learn more about what to expect in the days and weeks following the election here.
What does the Jackson County Legislature do?
The legislature, along with the county executive, decides how to spend the county’s budget. Some of its responsibilities include:
Public works (like road maintenance) outside of incorporated cities like Kansas City or Independence
Issuing countywide rules such as mask mandates
Levying countywide sales taxes
Running the assessment office that assesses property values for property taxes
Funding the sheriff’s and county prosecutor’s offices
Owning University Health and running the county health department along with the county executive
Funding development projects like a new jail or the proposed new Royals stadium
Collecting taxes and distributing funding to community programs at the county level
See where county legislature candidates stand on some key issues here.
