Editor’s note: The Post is gathering comments from candidates and will update this story as we get reactions.
Three incumbents and one new city councilmember appear to have won seats on the Lenexa City Council.
On Tuesday, voters in Lenexa went to the polls to decide three contested elections, with John Michael Handley, who was appointed to his seat representing Ward 1, and incumbent Bill Nicks of Ward 2, appearing to be victorious, while fellow incumbent Craig Denny was unopposed.
Meanwhile, a new person will take over Councilmember Melanie Arroyo’s seat in Ward 3, as Arroyo declined to seek a new term. Avery Bell looks like he will take over that seat in a contested election with Corey Hunt, who held the seat before losing his reelection bid to Arroyo in 2021.
All election results are unofficial until the vote canvass is completed at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13. After that, election results will be official. Here’s a city map showing the boundaries of all four wards.
Ward 1
John Michael Handley will keep his seat representing Ward 1 on the Lenexa City Council, according to unofficial election results. He was appointed to take over the seat earlier this year after longtime Councilmember Joe Karlin died while in office.
In the initial results, voters opted for Handley over challenger Joe Shull, 55% to 45%.
Handley received 1,859 votes and Shull 1,523.
“I’m just so grateful for the chance to continue serving, because I really love this community and it showed me a lot of love when I first moved here,” Handley told the Post.
Handley, who moved to Lenexa in 2019, works as a project manager for renewable energy and data center developments. He served on the Lenexa Planning Commission from 2020 until joining the city council.
In an interview with the Post earlier this year, Handley said he brings “a practical, balanced perspective on economic growth and governance to [his] work on the council.”
In Johnson County’s only primary race in August, Handley and Shull received the votes to run in the general election. The total votes were 611 for Handley and 347 for Shull.
Ward 2
In Ward 2, incumbent Councilmember Bill Nicks appeared to claim victory, leading Nicole Wasson by a margin of 55.2% to 44.6% in unofficial Election Night results. Nicks received 1,484 votes to Wasson’s 1,200 votes.
Previously the director of the Lenexa Parks and Recreation Department, among other positions held in Lenexa, Nicks will enter into his third term on the city council representing Ward 2.
His campaign focused on balancing residential and commercial development with the preservation of open space, as well as keeping city services strong and city government transparent.
A Lenexa native, Wasson previously worked in corporate consulting for firms like Deloitte and Grant Thornton for more than 20 years. Her campaign focused on the city having a variety of housing solutions that fit different needs of its residents, an incremental reduction on taxes by the city and updated police training, as officers face new challenges.
The Post was unable to reach Nicks and Wasson for comment at the time of publication.
Ward 3
Unofficial election results show Lenexa voters have chosen Avery Bell to represent Ward 3 on the city council.
Bell appears to have defeated opponent Corey Hunt by a margin of 69% to 30.9%. Bell received 1,958 votes, while Hunt earned 877.
Bell, who moved to Lenexa in 2015, has spent his career working in infrastructure and is an Account Manager at Siemens. Bell says his experience will “help Lenexa keep our residents safe, make investments in resilient infrastructure and drive improvements that promote sustainability.”
“I am deeply appreciative of all those who have supported my campaign and look forward to serving Lenexa Ward 3,” Bell said in a written statement to the Post on Tuesday night.
The Ward 3 seat was open after Councilmember Arroyo, who was elected in 2021, chose not to seek reelection.
Ward 4
Incumbent Councilmember Craig Denny, a former Shawnee Mission school board member, was unopposed. He will serve his second term on the city council.
Kate Mays contributed to this story.
