With few candidates running unopposed and several key issues on the ballot, Eastern Jackson County’s voters face some important decisions in the Aug. 5 primary election.
Winners in the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian parties will move on to the Nov. 4 general election unless there is nobody running in the other parties. Some of the office holders will be decided by the primary, while other races won’t have any competition until the general election.
One of the biggest issues facing Democratic voters is the hotly-contested sheriff’s race, where four Democrats are battling to replace Tom Phillips, who is not seeking another term.
Jackson County has traditionally elected a Democratic sheriff, so the candidates are campaigning hard to win the primary.
Running on the Democratic ticket are Independence Police Sgt. John Bullard, who ran and lost against Phillips for sheriff in the 2004 primary election; Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy Tom Krahenbuhl; former Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy and former Independence Police Officer Mike Mauer; and Kansas City Police Department volunteer and former policeman Mike Sharp. Although his name will appear on the ballot, Democrat Gary Scherer, for chief of police in Grain Valley, has withdrawn.
A lone Republican, Ernie Griffin, former sergeant with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, awaits the winner in the November general election.
Another Jackson County position – prosecutor – has two Democratic candidates, and no Republicans, so the primary winner will be unopposed in November.
James Kanatzar is the incumbent. Kanatzar was appointed prosecutor in 2007 by County Executive Mike Sanders after his election. He will face Lee’s Summit assistant city prosecutor Rachel Townsend in the primary.
Congress
Three U.S. Congressional seats that include parts of Eastern Jackson County have primary elections.
- In the 4th District, Republicans Stanley Plough, Joseph Terrazas and Jeff Parnell battle in the primary for the chance to go against Democrat Ike Skelton, a Democrat, in the November election. Skelton has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1977, defeating the Republican candidate the last 15 elections.
- 5th District: Republicans Jacob Turk, Chris Knowlton, Randall D. Langkraehr and Martin D. Baker will contend for an opportunity to meet incumbent Emanuel Cleaver II, a Democrat, in the November general election. A former mayor of Kansas City, Cleaver took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2005.
- 6th District: Kay Barnes, a Democrat who served two terms as mayor of Kansas City, will face Ali Allon Sherkat in the primary. One of them will contend with Republican Sam Graves, the incumbent, in the November general election. Graves was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2000 and is seeking his fifth term.
State House
Two state senate and nine state representative districts have a piece of Eastern Jackson County.
There will be no changes in the senate, as 11th District incumbent Victor Callahan is unopposed (see adjoining story), while 8th District Senator Matt Bartle is in the middle of his four-year term and not on the ballot.
Many races for state representative have contested primaries, while some others, such as incumbent Democrats Ray Salva in the 51st District and Paul LeVota in the 52nd are unopposed in both the primary and general elections.
- 41st District: This district serves mostly Kansas City but also has a portion of western Independence. Shalonn (Kiki) Curls, a Democrat, is the incumbent. She was elected in 2006. Her opponent in the August primary election is Mark A. Hawthorne. The winner will be unopposed in November as no Republican filed.
- 48th District: No race here until November. Will Kraus, a Republican, is the incumbent. Democrat Joe Volpe is the other candidate. Mike Sager, a Democrat, was disqualified in April by the Missouri Ethics Commission for failure to file a personal finance statement by the April 15 deadline.
- 49th District: Incumbent Terry Young, a Democrat, is not seek re-election after moving away from the area. Democrats Tom McDonald and Jason Parson will battle for a seat in the House in the primary. There are no Republicans filed.
- 53rd District: Curt Dougherty, a Democrat, is a two-time incumbent but faces a strong challenge in his own party from Gary Thompson, who is a long-time Fort Osage School Board member. Brent Lasater, who ran against Dougherty in 2006, will run on the Republican ticket in the November general election. Dougherty’s wife, Susan Dougherty, and John Mayfield also both originally filed to run as Democrats but withdrew this spring.
- 54th District: No primary battles here. Gary Dusenberg, a Republican, is the incumbent and originally took his seat in 2002. Other candidates include Democrat Mark D. Matzeder and Libertarian Bobby Foster. They will face off in November .
- 55th District: Nothing in the primary. Bryan Pratt, a Republican, is the incumbent and first elected in 2002. His opponents are Mike O’Donnell, a Democrat, and Kevin Parr, a Libertarian.
- 6th District: No contest until November. Brian Yates, a Republican, is the incumbent and was elected in 2002. Chris Ruggles is the Democrat candidate
Ballot issues
There are a number of local city and fire district issues on the August ballot.
- Blue Springs: Question 1 asks whether the city ought to combine its water and sewer revenue bonds for $35 million to improve and expand the city’s existing sewer treatment plant.
Question 2 asks whether the city should issue general obligation bonds for $28 million in road improvements. Neither issue would require a tax increase.
- Buckner: Question asks whether the city ought to increase the tax levy $.4444 /100 for operating costs.
- Lake Lotawana: Question 1 asks whether the city should increase the tax levy $.80/100. Question 2 asks if the city should exclude part of the Milton Thompson tract annexed in 2001.
- Central Jackson County Fire Protection District: Question 1 asks if the CJCFPD should issue its general obligation bonds for $5 million to acquire fire trucks, an ambulance, firefighter safety equipment and other equipment as well as furnishing a training and maintenance facility.
Question 2 asks whether the CJCFPD can impose a sales tax of one-half of one percent of all retail sales for operating revenue and reduce the property tax levy by an amount that reduces those revenues by 50 percent of previous year’s sales tax collections.
