The decision to redraw the Northland boundaries was the subject of controversy in 2021, when business and political leaders voiced opposition to the city’s plan to divide the 1st and 2nd Districts horizontally mostly along Barry Road, instead of vertically along the Clay and Platte county line. The results of the 2020 census revealed that Kansas City had surpassed half a million people for the first time since 1970, with the largest gains in the Northland suburbs. Since the last election, Kansas City has redrawn its City Council districts, with the most significant changes coming to the Northland and the southern outskirts of the city. Redrawn boundaries causing divisions within new City Council districts When Kansas City election results start to roll in next week, here are three things to watch for among the 12 City Council races and mayoral race. The Beacon has published candidate questionnaires for the Northland and both in-district and at-large races south of the Missouri River.

New players have stepped forward to challenge the traditional political structure and demand that city leaders make affordable housing a front-and-center issue. The campaign has been somewhat low-key, partly because Mayor Quinton Lucas faces only nominal opposition from Clay Chastain.īut the slate of council candidates and their positions on issues say a lot about the city’s evolving political landscape. On June 20, voters will pick a new City Council to oversee the city’s budget and operations until 2027. Also, the city is under pressure to successfully host World Cup soccer matches in 2026. Those include a worsening affordable housing crisis, rising tensions centered around the state-controlled police department and concerns about more players handing out tax incentives to developers. Two Super Bowl wins, a worldwide pandemic and an NFL Draft later, Kansas City has acquired some bragging rights but faces friction and challenges that have come into sharper focus since 2019. The last time Kansas Citians voted for City Council members, Donald Trump was still president, renters were just beginning to organize under the working name of “KC Tenants” and many Kansas City residents had never considered wearing a face mask to the airport (still a horseshoe-shaped terminal), let alone a grocery store.įour years later, the city has dramatically changed.

Kansas city airport voting stats