Jess Blubaugh

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

Jess Blubaugh

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

April 4, 2023

Education

Bachelor's

University of Kansas, 2003

Graduate

Rockhurst University, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Manhattan, Kan.

Religion

Agnostic

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Jess Blubaugh ran for election for an at-large seat of the Kansas City City Council. She lost in the primary on April 4, 2023.

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

Biography

Jess Blubaugh was born in Manhattan, Kansas. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Kansas in 2003 and a graduate degree from Rockhurst University in 2020.

Elections

2023

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

General election

General election for Kansas City City Council At-large District 4

Crispin Rea defeated Justin Short in the general election for Kansas City City Council At-large District 4 on June 20, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Crispin Rea (Nonpartisan)	56.8	22,736
		Justin Short (Nonpartisan)	43.2	17,312

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3	Total votes: 40,048
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Kansas City City Council At-large District 4

Crispin Rea and Justin Short defeated Grace Cabrera, Jess Blubaugh, and John DiCapo in the primary for Kansas City City Council At-large District 4 on April 4, 2023.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Crispin Rea (Nonpartisan)	36.0	15,247
✔		Justin Short (Nonpartisan)	21.4	9,061
	Submit photo	Grace Cabrera (Nonpartisan)	16.2	6,876
		Jess Blubaugh (Nonpartisan)	13.5	5,716
	Submit photo	John DiCapo (Nonpartisan)	12.5	5,279
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	150

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2 Source 3 Source 4	Total votes: 42,329
= 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.

Campaign themes

2023

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

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

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am the daughter of two social workers, the granddaughter of a farmer on one side, and a concrete company owner on the other. I also grew up playing team sports. These experiences have instilled in me the 1) value of hard work, 2) the value of if you're going to do something, do it right, and 3) valuing your community more than you value yourself. Being an athlete, I understand knowing when to lead, when to follow and that we can accomplish much more when we work together. I have a Bachelors in Communications and a Master’s in Organizational Development and Leadership – which means I am in trained in how to listen, how to communicate and how to lead. I have 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector advocating for educational equity, women and girls in sports, tourism and specifically our city. I have led projects big and small, and have spent my entire career gathering disparate groups of people, building consensus and moving toward a common goal. Coupled with the understanding that I am not an expert on everything, and am only good as those I surround myself with, I understand the value of many perspectives and voices around a table. I have been engaged with the Longfellow Community Association as a neighbor for six years. I have been longstanding member of the LGBTQ community, and currently serve on the board of the Mid-America LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce and adviser for the Pride Fund. I am an aunt and the dog-mom of two rescue pups.

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?

• Basic City Services need to work everyone. City services directly impact your life. We must make sure Kansas City is delivering on its promises, like providing safe, clean parks and public spaces, keeping sidewalks and roads in good repair, and picking trash up on time.
• Build safe and vibrant communities by engaging our neighborhoods regularly and proactively; by expanding public multi-modal public transit making Kansas City more accessible to everyone; and by building a collaborative, supported and accountable police force, addressing systemic problems like homelessness, poverty, and mental health, and continues by eventually regaining local control of Kansas City’s police department.
• Create a Vibrant City for All As KC grows, the needs of the city – affordable housing and sustainability — should be the primary focus, not just the desires of developers. We need to thoughtfully consider new projects with care and creativity to ensure such projects positively impact both developers and taxpayers. We must think differently about how to deliver the most through each new development opportunity.

Community Question Featured local question

Do you think the downtown area is healthy? What is your definition of a healthy downtown? What changes, if any, would you like to make?

Yes, we have a healthy downtown and great continued growth but we have to keep that momentum going and still have lots to improve around. We need more infill to build more density, increase safety, build more transit options to and from the area and continue to drive visitation from tourists.

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?

Vitally important. Government exists to support it's citizens and we have to listen to them and their lived experiences. Engaging neighborhoods directly and proactively. Breaking down barriers of responsiveness from City Hall wherever possible. And I'll meet with citizens on a regular basis.

Community Question Featured local question

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

We have to have a collaborative relationship with our police department that is also accountable to our community; and at the same time, we have to go upstream to interrupt crime before it starts by getting at the root causes of crime like poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and mental health. We don't currently engage with area nonprofits doing work in these areas proactively or in a way that incentivizes them to work together to make a bigger impact.

Community Question Featured local question

What plans do you have regarding infrastructure?

We have to improve the area and coverage of basic city services. That includes trash pickup, road and sidewalk repair and lighting along streets and alleys. We have to use data to inform where we have gaps and why, and address those needs immediately.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about passing policy on a local level that is both strategic and data-driven, but that has also been evaluated from an implementation perspective. We have to consider once we have actualized a policy, what it's intended and unintended ripple effects may be. We also have to ensure that we're passing policy that is rooted in data-driven perspective but that is also informed by the citizens of our community and their lived experiences.

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

Integrity, humility, vulnerability, active listener, clear and direct communication

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

I am organized; a clear-direct communicator; active listener; relationship management and cultivation; project management; marketing; and community organizing

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

2 Be Loved - Lizzo

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it's valuable to have a balance and mix of both. We need varied perspectives and experiences around the table to ensure that a variety of lived experiences and expertise are represented.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Leaders need to be able to listen actively, have the humility to admit when they don't know something or made a mistake, and the courage to engage those around them who know more than them on a specific topic. Understanding how to manage a project and build relationships would also make this office far more successful.

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

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Kansas City City Council At-large District 4

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