Category: Election 2017

An extra 170 mailed-in votes were counted today in Wyandotte County, and did not change any of the outcomes in the Tuesday night primary.

One contest remained extremely close, according to the new figures posted on the election commissioner’s website.

Two challengers in the Board of Public Utilities, at large position 1 contest, Bryan Messmer and Kevin Braun, were within 14 votes of each other. Messmer took second in the contest and moves on to the general election with 2,034 votes to Braun’s 2.020 votes. Incumbent Mary Gonzales received 49.2 percent of the vote with 5,806 votes.

The state law had changed this year to allow mailed-in ballots to be postmarked by 7 p.m. election night, and these ballots were counted on Friday. The vote totals will remain unofficial until Monday, when provisional ballots are considered and the election is certified.

The new unofficial vote totals:

Primary election results, unofficial final results
With 13,654 votes cast, 17.7 percent of registered voters
All precincts are in

UG Mayor- Chief Executive Officer
David Alvey, 4,293 votes, 31.59 percent
David Haley, 2,511 votes, 18.48 percent
Mark R. Holland, incumbent 5,460 votes, 40.18 percent
D. Keith Jordan, 322 votes, 2.37 percent
Janice Grant Witt, 1,004 votes, 7.39 percent

UG Commissioner, 5th District
John T. Fotovich, 443 votes, 11.26 percent
Mike Kane, incumbent, 2,303 votes, 58.51 percent
Sarah Kremer, 1,190 votes, 30.23 percent

UG Commissioner, 7th District
George Cooper, 457 votes, 27.92 percent
Jim A. Gibson, 417 votes, 25.47 percent
Jim Walters, incumbent 763 votes, 46.61 percent

UG Commissioner, 8th District
Brad Isnard, 282 votes, 14.77 percent
Kendon McClaine, 568 votes, 29.75 percent
Jane W. Philbrook, incumbent, 1,059 votes, 55.47 percent

Sheriff
Donald Ash, incumbent 6,573 votes, 50.09 percent
Charles W. Bunnell, 679 votes, 5.17 percent
Marvin L. Main, 1,239 votes, 9.44 percent
Celisha Towers, 2,857 votes, 21.77 percent
Victor Webb, 1,774 votes, 13.52 percent

BPU member, position 1, at-large
Kevin Braun, 2,020 votes, 17.13 percent
Mary Gonzales, incumbent, 5,806 votes, 49.25 percent
Bryan Messmer, 2,034 votes, 17.25 percent
Nikole C. Owens, 1,930 votes, 16.37 percent

by Mary Rupert

Mayor Mark Holland was surrounded at his watch party tonight at the Mason Jar restaurant with a group of happy campaigners.

“We’re very excited about the outcome,” Mayor Holland said, who had about 40 percent of the five-way vote. “It’s a big win. We have our work cut out for us for the general election.”

Holland’s lead was big enough that he will almost certainly be declared the primary winner after an unknown number of mail-in ballots are counted on Friday. Then the votes will be certified on Monday. Holland, with 5,380 votes on Tuesday night, was more than 1,100 votes ahead of challenger David Alvey, who had 4,263 votes, and David Haley had another 2,474 votes.

Holland said it was his fourth time running county-wide – he won the first one by only 13 votes.

“So maybe we are getting better,” Holland said.

David Alvey, at his campaign headquarters on North 6th Street, said, “We are very excited to be moving on, and we look forward to bringing the debate.

“We intend to expose Mayor Holland’s narrative that everything is well and growing in the county,” Alvey said. “We have to take care of our residents all across the county, it’s not just about development out west.”

David Haley, at his campaign watch party at Gates restaurant at 10th and State Avenue, was still waiting for the final numbers to come in when he said that his campaign was all about shifting the focus to other parts of Wyandotte County.

“Whatever the outcome, we believe that either of the status quos, Mr. Holland or Mr. Alvey, should build small businesses in other parts of our county, and immediately. That is our focus,” Haley said.

The unofficial results on Tuesday night showed a 17.5 percent voter turnout, with 13,484 votes cast.

The general election is Nov. 7.

Primary election results, unofficial results
With 13,484 votes cast, 17.5 percent of registered voters
All precincts are in; some mail-in ballots have not yet been counted.

UG Mayor- Chief Executive Officer
David Alvey 4,263 votes, 31.76 percent
David Haley 2,474 votes, 18.43 percent
Mark R. Holland, incumbent 5,380 votes, 40.09 percent
D. Keith Jordan 319 votes, 2.38 percent
Janice Grant Witt 985 votes, 7.34 percent

UG Commissioner, 5th District
John T. Fotovich, 436 votes, 11.23 percent
Mike Kane, incumbent 2,276 votes, 58.60 percent
Sarah Kremer, 1,172 votes, 30.18 percent

UG Commissioner, 7th District
George Cooper, 453 votes, 28 percent
Jim A. Gibson, 410 votes, 25.34 percent
Jim Walters, incumbent 755 votes, 46.6 percent

UG Commissioner, 8th District
Brad Isnard, 279 votes, 14.79 percent
Kendon McClaine, 560 votes, 29.69 percent
Jane W. Philbrook, incumbent, 1,047 votes, 55.51 percent

Sheriff
Donald Ash, incumbent 6,507 votes, 50.21 percent
Charles W. Bunnell, 671 votes, 5.18 percent
Marvin L. Main, 1,220 votes, 9.41 percent
Celisha Towers, 2,806 votes, 21.65 percent
Victor Webb, 1,755 votes, 13.54 percent

BPU member, position 1, at-large
Kevin Braun, 1,994 votes, 17.13 percent
Mary Gonzales, incumbent, 5,738 votes, 49.29 percent
Bryan Messmer, 2,010 votes, 17.27 percent
Nikole C. Owens, 1,899 votes, 16.31 percent

The second group of vote totals is in from the Wyandotte County Election Office, showing no change in the vote leaders from the first group.

Incumbents continue to do well so far in this election, with 6,737 votes cast, and a turnout of 8.74 percent.

Incumbent Mayor Mark Holland led with 42.54 percent of the mayoral contest vote to David Alvey’s 1,993, or 29.72 percent, and David Haley’s 1,237, or 18.44 percent. Janice Witt had 460 votes and D. Keith Jordan, 164.

For UG Commission, 5th District, incumbent Commissioner Mike Kane had 1,000 votes, or 56.82 percent of te vote, to Sarah Kremer’s 537 votes, 30.51 percent, and John Fotovich’s 223 votes, or 12.67 percent.

In District 7, UG Commission, Incumbent Commissioner Jim Walters led with 380 votes, or 45.78 percent, to Jim Gibson’s 235 votes, 28.31 percent, and George Cooper’s 215 votes, 25.90 percent.

For the UG Commission, 8th District, incumbent Commissioner Jane Philbrook led with 633 votes, or 59.77 percent, to Kendon McClaine’s 305 votes, or 28.80 percent, and Brad Isnard’s 121 votes, or 11.43 percent.

Incumbent Sheriff Donald Ash continued to lead the five-candidate contest with 3,297 votes, or 50.83 percent. Celisha Towers was second with 1,430 votes, 22.05 percent; Victor Webb, 828 votes, 12.77 percent; Marvin Main, 565 votes, 8.71 percent; and Charles Bunnell, 366 votes, 5.64 percent.

Incumbent BPU member, position 1 at-large, Mary Gonzales leads with 3,040 votes, 52.31 percent; and Bryan Messmer was second with 972 votes, 16.72 percent. Nikole Owens had 929 votes, 15.98 percent; and Kevin Braun had 871 votes, 14.99 percent.