KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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A Jackson County legislator introduced a proposal Monday to set a framework for selecting an interim County Executive to replace Frank White Jr. who was recalled in a special election last month.
Donna Peyton’s proposal calls for a public hearing to interview all applicants before Oct. 14.
She also wants to require all applicants to sign a pledge to not run for the seat when it comes open in the November 2026 election.
“Running a county-wide campaign for Jackson County Executive requires a lot of work. We want that interim person to be able to devote themselves to the job,” Peyton explained.
The county legislature will meet again at 10 a.m. Thursday at the downtown courthouse to debate whether to adopt the proposal.
More than 85 percent of voters recalled White on Sept. 30. He remains in office until the election boards certify the results.
The Jackson County Election Board certified its results Monday. Kansas City’s election office is scheduled to certify its results Wednesday.
Former Mayor Kay Barnes will serve as county executive for up to 30 days while legislators choose a longer-term, yet interim, person to serve as County Executive until Dec. 31, 2026 when White’s term would’ve expired.
By noon Monday, when the application window closed, the county had received 15 applications for the job.
Peyton had considered reopening the application window, but did not get much support during Monday’s legislative meeting.
The names of the applicants are listed below:
- Jeremy Raines
- Jennifer Lynn Halverson
- Charlie Franklin (current legislator)
- Daniel T. Tarwater III (former legislator)
- Justice Horn Jr.
- Curtis (Curt) Dougherty
- Phil LeVota
- Kevon Graves
- James Allen Witteman, Jr.
- DaRon McGee (current legislator)
- Lorenzo Johnson
- Nicholas Milo Kusnir
- Christine Taylor-Butler
On Sunday, the Urban Council, a group of civil rights organizations, sent an open letter to legislators calling for transparency in the process. The Urban Council supports applicants signing a pledge not to run for the seat in 2026.
“That’s how we got Frank White,” Gwendolyn Grant of the Urban League, which is a member of the Urban Council, pointed out. “So, maybe, we should learn that history teaches us a lesson and we need to take a different approach.”
Peyton will host a public listening session Thursday evening. It will take place at 6 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church at 1700 Linwood Blvd, Kansas City, Mo.
The format will be similar to a listening session which took place Saturday in Lee’s Summit.
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