Chris Gahagan

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Chris Gahagan

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

June 20, 2023

Education

High school

Ruskin High School

Bachelor's

University of Missouri, Kansas City, 1987

Law

University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law, 1989

Personal

Birthplace

Kansas City, Mo.

Profession

Attorney, Small Business Owner

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Chris Gahagan ran for election to the Kansas City City Council to represent District 1. He lost in the general election on June 20, 2023.

Gahagan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Chris Gahagan was born in Kansas City, Missouri. He graduated from Ruskin High School. Gahagan earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1987 and a law degree from the University of Missouri, Kansas City Law in 1989. His career experience includes working as an attorney and small business owner.

Elections

2023

See also: City elections in Kansas City, Missouri (2023)

General election

General election for Kansas City City Council District 1

Nathan Willett defeated Chris Gahagan in the general election for Kansas City City Council District 1 on June 20, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nathan Willett (Nonpartisan)	63.3	4,102
		Chris Gahagan (Nonpartisan)	36.7	2,379

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 6,481
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Kansas City City Council District 1

Nathan Willett and Chris Gahagan advanced from the primary for Kansas City City Council District 1 on April 4, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Nathan Willett (Nonpartisan)	67.6	5,155
✔		Chris Gahagan (Nonpartisan)	32.4	2,472

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 7,627
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gahagan in this election.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Chris Gahagan completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2023. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gahagan's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a father and grandfather. I have practiced law for 34 years, dividing my time between representing public school districts in KC and general civil litigation. I'm a lifelong Kansas Citian and a 25-year Northlander. My kids and grandkids live in the Northland so I'm 100% committed to making KC the best place to live, work and raise a family. Working with school boards for 28 years, I learned how to listen to community voices and to build consensus. In my work as a litigator, I learned how to effectively advocate for my clients’ interests while maintaining professionalism and ethics.

In 2020, I served on the Clay County Constitutional Charter Commission. This bipartisan commission drafted a constitution for Clay County with the consensus of its 14 members and the charter was approved by more than 80% of voters in Clay County in November 2020.

My longstanding relationships with community leaders throughout the city and reputation for ethics and hard work will enable me to better benefit the residents of my district and the entire city.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Improve and enhance basic city services
• Infrastructure improvements and upgrades in the Northland to support future growth and development as well as infrastructure maintenance throughout the city
• Development of a comprehensive plan for economic growth to attract new businesses and grow existing businesses to create jobs, which includes reducing the difficulty of navigating the confusing and seemingly arbitrary red tape at City Hall that serves as a disincentive for development and job creation

Community Question Featured local question

How important is it to involve residents in the government’s decision-making process? What plans do you have regarding resident involvement in this process?

Resident involvement is critical to establishing community buy-in for decision making. All stakeholders should have their voices heard in the decision making process.

Community Question Featured local question

How would you address crime and public safety? Do you have a different stance than current city council policy?

I am committed to creating and maintaining a high level of public safety which necessarily includes supporting our police and fire departments so that they both have fully staffed departments and the highest quality equipment.

Community Question Featured local question

What plans do you have regarding infrastructure?

Basic infrastructure is critical to livability. I will work to ensure our streets, sidewalks, sewers and bridges are improved and maintained to the highest standards.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am intensely interested in local government because it is where the issues that affect every day life are addressed. I am passionate about economic development and job creation. I also want to make City Hall more responsive to the needs of its residents and focused on providing the highest quality basic city services like street and sidewalk repair, reliable trash collection and timely snow removal.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Accessibility and accountability. I am a pragmatic problem solver.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am honest and ethical. I learn more from talking to people with whom I disagree than from listening to people who only tell me what I want to hear. I am able to build consensus and I understand that compromise is often necessary to move forward.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like to leave a legacy that makes my children and grandchildren proud.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Moon landing, 1969. I was 5 years old. I think it's the reason I believe government should be aspirational.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was a summer job working in a warehouse for a local product distributor. I worked summers following my sophomore and junior years of high school.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Citizens Association, Greater KC AFL-CIO, Greater KC Building & Construction Trades Council, Public Safety Concern, Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, IAFF Local 42, IAFF Local 3808, IBEW Local 124, Iron Workers Local 10, Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors, Roofers Local 20, Pipe Fitters Local 553, Operating Engineers Local 101, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 127, American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 100, SEIU Local 1, Laborers Local 264, Laborers Local 663, SEIU Local 1, American Federation of State and Municipal Employees Local 100

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Note: Community Questions were submitted by the public and chosen for inclusion by a volunteer advisory board. The chosen questions were modified by staff to adhere to Ballotpedia’s neutrality standards. To learn more about Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Expansion Project, click here.

See also

2023 Elections

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Candidate

Kansas City City Council District 1

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