@BlogKCNext week voters have an opportunity to get rid of two politicians who have turned out to be decidedly anti-KC, opposing initiatives to improve the metro area and move it forward. The first is Kansas State Senator Kay O’Connor of Olathe. She’s the wingnut who opposes voting rights for women and tries every year to kill the Bistate Compact that made possible the Union Station renovation and other future improvements for stadiums and the arts. Her opponent in the Republican primary for the 9th district Senate seat is State Representative Rob Boyer, also of Olathe.
The second is Missouri State Senator Victor Callahan of Independence. Callahan is most well known for his tenure as Chairman of the Jackson County Legislature, which was highlighted by an ongoing, nasty political fued with County Executive Katheryn Shields. Most recently, Callahan took his feud with Shields to Jeff City, where he endangered Bistate II by blocking a bill that would have added Kansas and Northland representation to the Jackson County Sports Authority. His opponents in the Democratic primary for the 11th district Senate seat are Ralph Monaco, Carol Jean Mays, Karla Deeds, and Janet Lea Byrd.
Callahan is probably beatable, but it will be hard in a 5-person race. It would have been nice to have just one serious challenger to him instead of two serious (Mays and Monaco) and two unknowns.