Kelli Reid

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

Kelli Reid

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Ottawa University, 2000

Personal

Birthplace

Iola, KS

Profession

Associate executive director

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Kelli Reid (Democratic Party) ran for election for Sedgwick County Clerk in Kansas. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Reid completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kelli Reid was born in Iola, Kansas. She earned a bachelor's degree from Ottawa University in 2000. As of August 2020, she was pursuing a master's degree from Wichita State University. Reid's career experience includes working as an associate executive director with a student government organization with a state university, as a marketing and communications director with a nonprofit organization, as an account director with a marketing agency in Wichita, Kansas, as a middle school teacher, and as a small business owner. She has served as a member with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, the Auxiliary Organization Association, and with the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/ Hispanics and Native Americans in Science. She has been affiliated with the association Women in Public Service.

Elections

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Sedgwick County, Kansas (2020)

General election

General election for Sedgwick County Clerk

Incumbent Kelly Arnold defeated Kelli Reid in the general election for Sedgwick County Clerk on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Arnold (R)	58.8	123,476
		Kelli Reid (D)	41.2	86,446
		Other/Write-in votes	0.1	130

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 210,052
= 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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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Sedgwick County Clerk

Kelli Reid advanced from the Democratic primary for Sedgwick County Clerk on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelli Reid	100.0	26,129

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 26,129
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Sedgwick County Clerk

Incumbent Kelly Arnold advanced from the Republican primary for Sedgwick County Clerk on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Kelly Arnold	100.0	45,523

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 45,523
= 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

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Kelli Reid completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Reid's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a candidate for office, Kelli Reid believes in people above politics. She is strongly committed to the public interest and restoring trust in government by cultivating a new level of engagement and participation among residents of Sedgwick County. Kelli understands that the strength and capacity of our community is greatly diminished by the growing political divide between citizens, and she strives to bring a fair, balanced, solution-oriented approach to traditional partisan issues. Kelli genuinely values diverse perspectives and ideas, which is one reason why the members of her campaign team are trusted advisors and friends from both sides of the political spectrum. Kelli is a successful administrator, professional communicator, and lifelong educator. A Kansas native, she moved to California after graduating from Ottawa University and served as a middle school classroom teacher, director of communications and marketing for SACNAS (Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science), and as an administrator for San Jose State University's nonprofit student government association. Back home in Wichita, Reid is pursuing a Master of Public Administration at Wichita State University. Kelli is married to Stefanie Reid and mother of an adult daughter. The Reids live in west Wichita.

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?

• Trust. Our first duty as public servants is to protect the public trust. The political divide we face in our county, in our state, and even within our families is threatening the very strength and capacity of our community and makes a noble effort like this one nearly impossible. The first step toward increasing public trust is to encourage participation and involvement in government. I believe elected officials and government leaders must represent the highest standards of integrity and ethical decision-making and behavior in everything they do. Tactics and strategies that seek to demean, destroy, and deface candidates and our fellow public servants do nothing to increase trust in government.
• Transparency. Increasing transparency, accountability and accessibility of critical information and decisions are among my top priorities. Everyday people need to be invited to take part and informed about the ways to participate in and lend their voice to the decisions that impact them. Those elected to represent the people of Sedgwick County should be accessible and approachable to the public and have a public presence that allows people to connect with them, and seek to improve the public's experiences of the programs and services provided through the County.
• Leadership. Diversifying and fostering leadership at all levels and increasing representation for the people of Sedgwick County is a strong driver of my campaign. I believe our elected officials should be a genuine reflection of the people they represent. Unfortunately, women, people of color, and other underrepresented populations do not see themselves represented by an overwhelming majority of white males who resoundingly occupy elected seats and positions of leadership. We can do better. Furthermore, people deserve a choice on the ballot, and encouraging a competitive race for public offices must be a priority.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am particularly passionate about education, property ownership, and public communication. As an educator, I am interested in providing mentorship and training to fellow public servants, particularly around open meeting laws and state and local government law, and working more closely with student government and organizations to provide more applied learning opportunities.

As a public administrator, I am equally passionate about leadership and organizational culture and psychology. I believe administrators have a unique opportunity to mobilize people and teams to help solve community challenges and needs, but to do that they must be keenly aware of the environment they are creating and leadership they are modeling.

From the perspective of County Clerk, I also believe we can do more than simply collect and administer property taxes. I would like to see more efforts made to help first-time homebuyers become homeowners and create pathways to success and retirement.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Clerk's office is a vital part of our local government system. First and foremost, they are the official Secretary for the Board of County Commissioners by law, with Clerks in all but two counties in Kansas (including Sedgwick County) also serving as the Election Commissioner. They produce and maintain official records, meeting minutes, and decisions of the Board and play an integral role in property tax administration.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to many people, but those who have shown exemplary leadership in the face of challenge, growth and opportunity have influenced me the most. This leadership has come in many forms and from diverse experiences with others, including direct supervisors, colleagues I have managed, and students I have advised. These people exemplify what it means to empower and inspire others, to lead by example through their actions, to align teams around a common vision, and to handle crisis, conflict and difficult conversations with grace and humility. It is intentional, emotionally-intelligent leaders who seek to diversify and encourage leadership at all levels and in all positions, regardless of the power, control or influence one holds and to change the narrative about what it means to lead.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe the core responsibility of all elected officials is to be a steward of the public trust. This above all else is their most important duty as a public servant. To ensure the public trust is protected, one must encourage and include diverse perspectives in the decision-making process, use scientific data and evaluation to assess the effectiveness of programs and services, and to lead by example with a high degree of ethics, honesty and integrity in all they do. Elected officials must be their word and exhibit that they can be trusted to make decisions firmly rooted in the public interest at all times. This requires the ability to recognize and put aside one's own self interest and the self-interest driven motivations of others.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy I would like to leave is one of increased public involvement and participation in local government, and to elevate the importance of our collective civic duty and forward public servant leadership. My hopes are to inspire others, particularly women, to not only exercise their right to vote, but to run for public office. There is an incredible disparity among female and male public office holders, with less than 29% of women being represented in elected positions across all levels of government, despite making up 51% of the nation's population.

I also hope that my time in office provides residents with increased access to opportunities and resources and advances new programs to help first-time homeowners secure a more stable future through property ownership. I also believe that my time in office will be marked with the strengthening of partnerships and internship opportunities for students in local colleges and universities to be able to offer more applied learning opportunities so they may gain valuable real-world experience in local government.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Each year, the Sedgwick County Clerk meets with cities and other municipalities to set the mill levy, which with the value of a property, determines the amount of property taxes owed. The Clerk's office also issues certain licenses and permits, manages property tax appeals and helps residents complete Homestead applications which allow for up to $700 in refunds for property taxes paid based on income and other criteria.

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

I believe politics has very little to do with a position like the County Clerk. Their role is largely administrative in nature, and they do not draft policy or enact legislation. The type of experiences most beneficial to this role include working with boards to produce agendas and minutes, to advise on open meeting law and parliamentary procedure, and to have held various public administration positions, managing budgets, people, and programs. It would also help for the Clerk to have experience with real estate, as they maintain land and property records. I bring all of these experiences and more to the office of Sedgwick County Clerk.

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.

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