Brandon Johnson (Kansas)
Brandon Johnson is a member of the Wichita City Council in Kansas, representing District 1. He assumed office in 2018. His current term ends on January 12, 2026.
Johnson ran for re-election to the Wichita City Council to represent District 1 in Kansas. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Click here to read Johnson's response to Ballotpedia's 2017 municipal candidate survey. Wichita's elections are nonpartisan, though Johnson identifies as a Democrat.[1]
Biography
Johnson earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from Friends University. He is the executive director for Community Operations Recovery Empowerment Inc. Johnson is also the water access coordinator for Sunflower Community Action.[2]
Elections
2021
See also: City elections in Wichita, Kansas (2021)
General election
General election for Wichita City Council District 1
Incumbent Brandon Johnson defeated Myron Ackerman in the general election for Wichita City Council District 1 on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Brandon Johnson (Nonpartisan) | 78.5 | 4,089 |
| Myron Ackerman (Nonpartisan) | 20.7 | 1,078 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.7 | 39 | ||
| Total votes: 5,206 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
The primary election was canceled. Incumbent Brandon Johnson and Myron Ackerman advanced from the primary for Wichita City Council District 1.
2017
Brandon Johnson defeated Mike Kinard in the general election for the District 1 seat on the Wichita City Council.[3]
| Wichita City Council, District 1 General Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
 Brandon Johnson |
65.39% | 3,002 |
| Mike Kinard | 34.22% | 1,571 |
| Write-in votes | 0.39% | 18 |
| Total Votes | 4,591 | |
| Source: Sedgwick County, Kansas, "November 7, 2017 General Election," accessed November 7, 2017 | ||
Brandon Johnson and Mike Kinard defeated John Stevens and Janet Wilson in the primary election for the District 1 seat on the Wichita City Council.[3]
| Wichita City Council, District 1 Primary Election, 2017 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
| Brandon Johnson |
52.19% | 1,546 |
| Mike Kinard |
22.72% | 673 |
| John Stevens | 14.82% | 439 |
| Janet Wilson | 10.26% | 304 |
| Total Votes | 2,962 | |
| Source: Sedgwick County, Kansas, "August 1st, 2017 Primary Election," accessed August 1, 2017 | ||
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Brandon Johnson did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.
2017
Johnson participated in Ballotpedia's 2017 survey of municipal government candidates.[4] The following sections display his responses to the survey questions. When asked what his top priority would be if elected, the candidate made the following statement:
| “ | If elected my top priority is to build upon our entrepreneurial efforts to boost small business throughout our City to reduce unemployment and provide living wage opportunities within proximity to neighborhoods and bring our focus back to neighborhoods.[5] | ” |
| —Brandon Johnson (October 11, 2017)[1] | ||
Ranking the issues
The candidate was asked to rank the following issues by importance in the city, with 1 being the most important and 12 being the least important: city services (trash, utilities, etc.), civil rights, crime reduction/prevention, environment, government transparency, homelessness, housing, K-12 education, public pensions/retirement funds, recreational opportunities, transportation, and unemployment. This table displays this candidate's rankings from most to least important.
| Issue importance ranking | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate's ranking |
Issue | Candidate's ranking |
Issue |
| Unemployment | Environment | ||
| Housing | Civil rights | ||
| Transportation | City services | ||
| Crime reduction/prevention | Public pensions/retirement funds | ||
| Recreational opportunities | Homelessness | ||
| Government transparency | K-12 education | ||
Nationwide municipal issues
The candidate was asked to answer questions from Ballotpedia regarding issues facing cities across America. The questions are in the left column and the candidate's responses are in the right column. Some questions provided multiple choices, which are noted after those questions.
| Question | Response |
|---|---|
| Very important | |
| Federal | |
| The best way to improve public safety is a combination of increased economic opportunity and improved neighborhood policing. | |
| Focusing on small business development and supporting entrepreneurs. | |
| I am proud of the new sense of pride we have about our City and the amazing people that reside here. Wichita truly is a place to grow a family and start a business. | |
| As a City, we need to put our focus back on the neighborhoods to build stronger and cleaner communities. Previous efforts to expand put strain on inner city infrastructure which isn't as beneficial to the people. |
Additional themes
Johnson provided the following response about city funding during a July 2017 forum:
| “ |
First, it’s talking with other council members about what’s going on in our district. There are some similarities in Districts 1, 3, 4 and 6. So to me, it’s building that coalition amongst council members about how do we address the issues that affect us. If we got areas that are impoverished and we are not doing anything there, we need to address it as a coalition of council members, then we have a majority vote to address those issues and finally put the attention back on neighborhoods. I think that resonates throughout the city, not just District 1.[6][5] |
” |
| —Brandon Johnson (2017) | ||
Endorsements
2017
Johnson received endorsements from The Wichita Eagle prior to the primary and general elections.[7] He received endorsements from Equality Kansas, the IAFF Local 135 Fire PAC, the Realtors of South Central Kansas, and congressional candidate James Thompson (D).[8]
Noteworthy events
On March 18, 2020, Johnson, City Council members, Becky Tuttle, and James Clendenin, and Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple, announced that they would enter self-quarantine due to possible exposure to coronavirus after attending a conference for city leaders in Washington D.C.[9]
|
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| Coronavirus pandemic |
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COVID-19, also known as coronavirus disease 2019, is the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The first confirmed case of the disease in the United States was announced on January 21, 2020. For more of Ballotpedia's coverage of the coronavirus impact on political and civic life, click here.
See also
2021 Elections
External links
|
Candidate Wichita City Council District 1 |
Officeholder Wichita City Council District 1 |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Ballotpedia's municipal government candidate survey, 2017, "Brandon Johnson's Responses," October 11, 2017
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Brandon Johnson," accessed June 12, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sedgwick County, Kansas, "Current Candidate Listings," accessed May 31, 2017
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ KMUW, "Four Candidates In The Race For Wichita City Council District 1; Where Do They Stand?," July 28, 2017
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "The Eagle editorial board endorsement for City Council primary," July 26, 2017
- ↑ Nick Katers, "Email exchange with Brandon Johnson," October 17, 2017
- ↑ KAKE, "Wichita mayor, council members self-quarantine due to possible COVID-19 exposure," March 18, 2020
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by - |
Wichita City Council District 1 2018-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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