Unofficial final results from Tuesday’s primary election are in, with the Johnson County Election Office reporting just over 10% voter turnout.
We reported on the primaries last night, showing which candidates running in contested races for local city council have advanced to the November general election. Click here to read that report. The primary results will be certified by county election officials on Wednesday, Aug. 9.
Several key races for seats on local school boards and city councils take place across Johnson County, including three mayoral races.
Here’s the list of candidates who have either already filed for the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 2, or who won their primary Tuesday and are set to advance.
Fairway City Council
Races for three seats on the city council are contested, while one race is unopposed.
- Ward 1: Jason Rogers (incumbent) faces Lee Story.
- Ward 2: Jonalan Smith (incumbent) and Jerry Williams are on the ballot.
- Ward 3: James Hafner is challenging Joseph Levin (incumbent).
- Ward 4: Jenna Brofsky (incumbent) is unopposed.
Leawood City Council
The mayoral seat is up for grabs after long-tenured Mayor Peggy Dunn declined to run again. Two races for city council are contested, and two are unopposed. Read our report here.
- Mayor: Marc Elkins and Steve Hentzen are vying for the open seat.
- Ward 1: Charles Brettell, Matt Peppes and Alan Sunkel are competing.
- Ward 2: Margaret Berger and Sherrie Gayed face off.
- Ward 3: Lisa Harrison (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 4: Steven Kaster is unopposed.
Lenexa City Council
Two current councilmembers are running for the mayoral seat, which is open after long-time Mayor Mike Boehm declined to run again. Races for four council seats are contested — including Ward 1, which had three candidates in the August primary.
- Mayor: Joe Karlin and Julie Sayers, both seated councilmembers, are vying for the mayoral seat. Karlin is mid-term for his seat representing Ward 1. If he loses the race for mayor, then he will stay on the city council to finish out his term. If Sayers loses the race for mayor, then she will conclude her term on the city council at the end of this year.
- Ward 1: Courtney Eiterich (incumbent) is definitely moving onto the November general. Two challengers from the August primary have roughly 30 votes separating them, so we’ll wait until the primary results are certified to know for sure whether Eiterich faces Bethany Griffith (163 votes from August primary) or Enaam Shull (138).
- Ward 2: Mark Charlton is competing with Jermaine Jamison.
- Ward 3: Dan Roh (incumbent) faces a challenge from Chelsea Williamson.
- Ward 4: Michael Elliott and Christopher Herron are on the ballot.
Merriam City Council
Only one race is contested of the four city council seats up for election this year — the Ward 2 seat that just wrapped an August primary.
- Ward 1: Jason Silvers (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 2: Rose Gerringer is most likely the challenger facing Whitney Yadrich (incumbent), according to fairly conclusive but still unofficial August primary results.
- Ward 3: Bruce Kaldahl (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 4: Staci Chivetta (incumbent) is unopposed.
Mission City Council
There are no contested races for Mission City Council seats.
- Ward 1: Trent Boultinghouse (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 2: Mary Ryherd (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 3: Brian Schmid is unopposed.
- Ward 4: Cheryl Carpenter Davis is unopposed.
Mission Hills City Council
Three candidates are on the ballot for Mission Hills City Council.
- Incumbent councilmembers Andy Weed and Eden B. Thorne are running unopposed for their at-large seats.
- Gregg Davidson is running unopposed for the seat being vacated by Councilmember Braden Perry.
Mission Woods City Council
- Robert Tietze is running unopposed for the mayoral seat being vacated by Keith Mays.
- Mays is now running for an at-large seat on the Mission Woods City Council.
- Councilmembers Carrol Thomas and Erica Hartley are both running unopposed.
Overland Park City Council
Five races for city council are contested, including one race that appeared in the August primary.
- Ward 1: Holly Grummert (incumbent) faces challenger Carol Merritt, according to unofficial final results from the primary.
- Ward 2: Jameia Haines and Drew Mitrisin face off.
- Ward 3: Richard Borlaza is challenging Thomas Carignan (incumbent).
- Ward 4: Gregg Riess is unopposed.
- Ward 5: Faris Farassati (incumbent) faces a challenge from Inas Younis.
- Ward 6: Scott Hamblin (incumbent) vies challenger Chris Newlin.
Prairie Village City Council
Four races for city council are contested in Prairie Village, including one race for Ward 3.
- Ward 1: Terry O’Toole is unopposed.
- Ward 2: Mark Samuel is challenging Inga Selders (incumbent).
- Ward 3: Bonnie Limbird (incumbent) faces a challenge from Lori Sharp, according to unofficial primary results.
- Ward 4: Tyler Agniel is challenging Piper Reimer (incumbent).
- Ward 5: Ciara Chaney and Nicholas Reddell are vying for the open seat.
- Ward 6: Ian Graves (incumbent) faces challenger Kelly Wyer.
Roeland Park City Council
Two races are contested in Roeland Park.
- Mayor: Michael Poppa (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 1: Jan Faidley (incumbent) faces challenger Stephanie Marriott.
- Ward 2: Benjamin Dickens (incumbent) is challenged by Haile Sims.
- Ward 3: Emily Hage is unopposed.
- Ward 4: Matthew Lero is unopposed.
- Ward 4 (2-year unexpired term): Miel Castagna-Herrera (incumbent) is unopposed.
Shawnee City Council
The mayoral seat as well as two seats are contested in Shawnee. Long-time Mayor Michelle Distler declined to run again.
- Mayor: Current Councilmember Mike Kemmling faces former councilmember Mickey Sandifer.
- Ward 1: Tammy Thomas (incumbent) faces challenger Sierra Whitted.
- Ward 2: Eric Jenkins (incumbent) faces a challenge from Jeanie Murphy.
- Ward 3: Kurt Knappen (incumbent) is unopposed.
- Ward 4: Laurel Burchfield and Megan Warner are vying for the seat.
Westwood City Council
- Long-time Mayor David E. Waters is seeking another term on the Westwood City Council unopposed.
- Councilmembers Holly Wimer and Laura Steele are running for their at-large seats, and Melinda Garcia is also on the ballot, with the top two candidates in November winning seats.
Westwood Hills City Council
- Mayor Rosemary Podrebarac is running unopposed for the Westwood Hills City Council.
- Councilmembers David Schmitz, Edward Gogol and Karen Sexton are all running unopposed.
Shawnee Mission Board of Education
Four races are contested for seats on the Shawnee Mission Board of Education.
- SM North Area: Mario Garcia III and Ronald N. Occhiogrosso are vying for the seat being vacated by Sara Goodburn.
- SM South Area: Jessica Hembree (incumbent) faces a challenge from Mark Tallent.
- SM Northwest Area: Jamie Borgman (incumbent) faces a challenge from Lynn McLarty.
- At-Large: David H. Westbrook and Logan Austin face off in November for the seat being vacated by Brad Stratton.
Blue Valley Board of Education (USD 229)
Four races are contested for the Blue Valley Board of Education.
- Member 1 (Northeast Area): Jan Kessinger (incumbent) faces a challenge from Christine Vasquez.
- Member 2 (Northwest Area): Patrick Hurley (incumbent) faces challenger Trisha Hamilton.
- Member 3 (South Area): Jodie Dietz (incumbent) faces two challengers, Amie Callahan and Rachel Faagutu.
- Member 7 At-Large: Clay Norkey and Michael Huebner are vying for the seat, which is being vacated by Tom Mitchell.
USD 232 Board of Education (De Soto)
All four races are contested for the USD 232 Board of Education.
- Member 1: Bill Fletcher (incumbent) faces a challenge from Chad Philhour.
- Member 2: Ashley Spaulding (incumbent) faces a challenge from Greg Withrow.
- Member 3: Stephanie Makalous (incumbent) faces challenger Henrey Sandate.
- Member 7 At-Large: Andrew Jacober and Anh-Nguyet Nguyen are vying for the seat being vacated by Rick Amos.
Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees
Eight candidates, including one incumbent, are vying for three seats, with the top three vote-getters in November winning office.
- Laura Smith-Everett (incumbent) is running for re-election, as well as seven others who will appear on the ballot, including: Benee Hudson, Cindy Green, Greg Mitchell, Ken Selzer, Mike Storm, Tera Wiggins and Valerie Jennings.
WaterOne board
Four races are contested on the WaterOne District Board.
- Member 1: Melanie S. Kraft (incumbent) faces a challenge from Gerald “Jerry” Cook and Thomas V. Fennesy.
- Member 2: Brian Glynn and Ullyses Wright are on the ballot.
- Member 6: Whitney Wilson (incumbent) faces a challenge from Jim McNair.
- Member 7: Mark Parkins (incumbent) faces challenger Renee Dinsmore.
