Post updated at 12:28 p.m. Tuesday, June 3:
At least one Lawrence City Commission seat will change hands in the upcoming election as a longtime incumbent did not file for reelection.
The deadline to file for office or to withdraw from the race was noon Monday. Altogether, 13 candidates filed for city commission, and seven filed for Lawrence school board.
Tuesday, July 15 is the deadline for voters to register or update their registration information to participate in the Aug. 5 primary election. Douglas County voters can register quickly, update their registration and/or request a mail ballot online at KSVotes.org.
Visit the county website, dgcoks.gov, for more voting information.
City elections are nonpartisan, so party affiliation doesn’t matter for the primary, as it can during even-year elections, or for the general election.
Lawrence City Commission candidates
The four-year terms of Commissioners Bart Littlejohn and Lisa Larsen will end in December. Littlejohn filed to seek reelection, but Larsen did not. Larsen was first elected in 2017, and she served as mayor in 2019 and again in 2023.
The top four winners of the Aug. 5 primary will advance to the general election on Nov. 4. Here’s some info about each of the candidates, provided in alphabetical order by last name.
Lawrence city commissioners are paid about $22,000 per year.
Paul Buskirk filed on April 16. Burskirk in 2024 ran as a Democrat to represent Kansas’ First Congressional District, which includes most of Lawrence, and lost to Rep. Tracey Mann (Republican) in the Nov. 5 general election. He is a longtime University of Kansas educator who previously worked with student-athletes and then worked as a special adviser. He retired from KU Friday.
He said his priorities are to ensure fixed-income and working families are included in budget and tax discussions, develop the Lawrence-KU relationship, and improve communication between the city and county.
“In my previous campaigns I have had the opportunity to see Lawrence from many perspectives,” Buskirk said via email. “We have a unique community with tremendous diversity and so many voices. We need to continue to work together to ensure that Lawrence is the legacy we want to leave for our children.”
Michael (Mike) K. Courtney filed on May 7. Courtney is a small business owner and parent who has lived in Lawrence for 15 years with his family. In a news release announcing his filing, he said as a commissioner, he would focus primarily on affordable housing and zoning, relief for municipal utility bills, and free-of-charge parks and green spaces. (The city is currently considering charging fees to use recreation centers but does not have plans to charge fees for parks.)
“In 25 years, I want to look back and say that we did everything we could so our children can live here, work here, and put down their own roots, without having to leave,” Courtney said in the release. “We are at an inflection point. We need to address the financial difficulties and affordability of our community. If we do not, then we will not only price out the current generation of young Lawrencians, but our children, as well. I will fight every day to make Lawrence more affordable for you and your family.”
His website is mikeforlawrence.com.
Mike Harreld filed on Monday. He said he’s worked in the health care industry for close to 11 years as an in-home care provider, a direct service advocate at the Lawrence Community Shelter and as a case manager recently. He said he’s seen “what a mess policy can have on people’s lives if it isn’t done well and with intention,” and he believes “we need to start building resiliency into our community” as national policy comes home to roost for Lawrence.
“Ultimately though I’m running because I think we need hope. I don’t think it’s enough to promise to go back to ‘normal,’ which was a living hell for so many,” he said via email, “Or to embrace a politics that is all about targeting our most marginalized and hurting them in an effort to scapegoat our problems away. I think we must offer an alternative to the vision of the robber barons that have dominated our society.”
He also said he wants to support local unions, and that “An injury to one is an injury to all.”
Eric B. Hyde filed on March 15, 2024. In a news release announcing his filing, Hyde said the most pressing issue Lawrence is facing is immorality. He said his campaign is based on integrity, unity and vision and that he will use direct community engagement instead of any campaign financing and social media.
“Truth is at the heart of integrity,” Hyde said in the release. “We must honor the public above the public servant, ensure fairness in all we do, and avoid confusing fact with opinion. Only through virtue can we unite as the future greatest city on earth.”
Steve Jacob filed on Jan. 10. Jacob ran as Libertarian for Douglas County Commission twice before: in 2022 when he lost to Patrick Kelly (incumbent Democrat) and in 2024 when he and Timothy Bruce (Republican) lost to Gene Dorsey (Democrat). He now hopes to fill a city commission seat.
“I’m running to stop the run away spending, to try to keep the lower and middle class here,” Jacob said via email.
He said he welcomes voters to email him at Lawhs1989@gmail.com or text him at 785-691-8400.
Ruby Mae Johnson filed on Feb. 17. In a news release announcing her campaign, Johnson said her key priorities as a commissioner would be equity and justice, community engagement, small business support, sustainable growth and affordable housing. Johnson is a transgender resident who has led LGBTQ+ and behavioral health advocacy in Lawrence.
“As a woman and a parent, I know firsthand the challenges faced by many of our friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens,” Johnson said in the release. “Lawrence is a place where all voices should be celebrated. We tell ourselves a story of Lawrence as a uniquely loving and open place to live, work, and be a part of something beautiful. I can say without exaggeration that living in Lawrence has saved my life. I have also seen and been a part of the struggle to stay true to our deeply held values of community, togetherness, and the affirmation of life, freedom, and human connection even in very complex times. I am running to help ensure Lawrence lives up to these values.”
Alex Kerr filed on Feb. 14. The youngest candidate so far, Kerr is an incoming senior at Free State High School. His school’s student newspaper, The Free Press, ran a profile on him this year.
Kerr said via email that he is “looking forward to this upcoming election cycle and is committed to give a bold, accountable and community-based approach to problems facing our community.”
Bart Littlejohn filed on March 7. A commissioner since 2021, he said he hopes to gain support for reelection.
Littlejohn said he’s proud of he and his colleagues’ work thus far on infrastructure using the asset management program, the new land development code, affordable housing and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He said the commission needs to continue work to build accessible housing for all income levels and break barriers to starting and growing small businesses as well as encourage more commercial development.
“I think that we’ve done a lot of good things while I’ve been on the commission,” Littlejohn said via email. “I want us to be resilient while also being flexible by continuing to work on: housing, infrastructure, and economic development.”
His website is vote4bart.org.
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Amanda Nielsen filed on May 7. Nielsen said her experience living as a single mother with two jobs is relatable to the Lawrence community and that she wants to keep Just Food, the Ballard Center, Cottonwood, Lawrence Public Library and similar services here and thriving. She said protecting the senior population and international residents and students is a top priority of hers.
“I love Lawrence and I want it to live up to the promise and spirit that this town was founded on,” Nielsen said via email. “I know with hard work we can do just that.”
Kristine Polian filed on May 14. Polian worked as the chief financial officer for the Lawrence-Douglas County Housing Authority through December 2024 and now works in local government consulting. In a news release announcing her filing, Polian said she believes public service is a culture, not an action. She said her extensive background in public service, finance and local government management sets her apart from other candidates.
“I’ve spent my career building strong, transparent, and responsive local government systems,” Polian said in the release. “Now, I want to bring that same commitment to accountability, service, and smart growth to the Lawrence City Commission.”
Her platform is on fiscal transparency, affordable housing, infrastructure planning and strong community services. Stay up to date on her campaign Facebook page.
Bob Schumm filed on Feb. 26. Schumm, a former commissioner, said he’s running because “we are committing too big a slice of the budget to capital improvements.” He would like to advance affordable housing, create more units of temporary housing for people experiencing homelessness, make improvements to downtown infrastructure and complete the Lawrence Loop.
“Electing me gets you a person with 50 years of business experience and 12 years of City Commission experience as well as three terms as mayor,” Schumm said via email. “I will use my high level of experience to find the best path forward for our city.”
Peter Victor Shenouda filed on April 29. Shenouda shared on his Facebook page that he never thought of himself as a politician but that he feels the city has declined in recent years, and he wants to make change. He pointed to rising homeowner and renter costs and city spending as major problems and said he plans to address homelessness, land development planning and other issues.
“I want to bring my experience and ideas from successfully running a business to improve our community,” Shenouda said in his post. “Thank you to all of my friends and family who have contacted me and offered their encouragement and support. I deeply care about our city and want to make a positive impact. As I begin this new journey, I ask you for your continued prayers, support and votes.”
Courtney Shipley, a former city commissioner, filed on May 9. Shipley was elected to a four-year term in 2019 and served as vice mayor in 2021 and mayor in 2022. Shipley came in fourth place in the 2023 general election, when there were three seats on the ballot.
At her final commission meeting in December 2023, she warned her colleagues not to act individually to direct city staff: “Neither the mayor nor individual commissioners are empowered to instruct, direct, coerce, intimidate or bully individual employees,” she said.
Shipley could not be reached for a statement by the time of publication.
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