Article last updated at 10:46 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4:
With all Douglas County precincts and advance votes counted, Douglas County Commissioner Patrick Kelly will hold his longtime seat, and newcomer Ethan Spurling has ousted incumbent Gene Dorsey.
Seats in District 1 and District 4 were up in the air during the primary election, as a newcomer and incumbent go head-to-head in each race. (The District 5 commissioner will be determined in the Nov. 3 general election — read more about those candidates at this link.)
Incumbent Kelly and newcomer Milton Scott, both Democrats, faced off in District 1, which represents parts of northern, northwestern and central Lawrence.
Don’t miss a beat … Click here to sign up for our email newsletters
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Two Democrats also vied to grab the District 4 commission seat: incumbent Dorsey and newcomer Spurling. District 4 encompasses Eudora and much of eastern Douglas County, and it reaches west into portions of Lawrence as if it’s pointing a finger.
Here are the final Election Night results:
Dorsey conceded his defeat to Spurling, saying “the voters get to decide, and they decided.” He lost with 45.9% of the vote compared to Spurling’s 54.1%.
Please support
The Lawrence Times!
Subscribe here.
He has five months left on the commission, which he said he wants to use to accomplish some final goals.
“I think the county budget is still a little bloated,” he said.
As an example, he suggested that the county hire internal counsel for cheaper rates than their current outside counsel.
His last day as a commissioner will be in January.
Spurling said the votes so far show that the electorate is looking for bold, progressive leadership, especially in Douglas County.
“We are the bastion in Kansas for progressive politics, and I think in a healthy democracy, it’s a good thing for voters to have options,” he said.
To exemplify how his politics are more progressive than Dorsey, Spurling said he would have voted for a tenant right to counsel program. The initiative was OK’ed by the commission in April, but Dorsey was one of two nay votes. Now called the Tenant Eviction Defense program, it will ensure legal representation for some people facing eviction in the county.
Spurling said that the votes show that the electorate is looking for bold, progressive leadership, especially in Douglas County.
“I look forward to the next four years serving progressive values, tackling the challenges that we face now and into the future, and just again grateful for the trust that’s been placed in me by Douglas County voters, by my supporters,” he said in an acceptance speech.
He also said that it’s a good thing for voters to have options in a healthy democracy.
To exemplify how his politics are more progressive than Dorsey, earlier in the evening Spurling said he would have voted for a tenant right to counsel program. The initiative was OK’ed by the commission in April, but Dorsey was one of two nay votes. Now called the Tenant Eviction Defense program, it will ensure legal representation for some people facing eviction in the county.
Spurling had also said his number one issue he hopes to see the commission work on is affordable housing.
“I look forward to working with organizations, with activists like Lawrence Tenants, to explore progressive options to keep people housed,” he said.
Kelly will keep the seat that he’s had for eight uninterrupted years.
He said that for him, it’s not just about specific issues, but a “way” of governance. He aims to understand how issues will impact folks, even if they disagree with him.
“I really work hard when I govern, listening to multiple perspectives, trying to really understand the issue, trying to see if there’s ways we can work together to find some place in the middle sometimes,” he said.
Going door-to-door for his campaign, he heard an overarching concern from the community: how expensive it is to live in Douglas County. He also said the commission has a lot of work to do to help people understand what goes into a county budget and which tax items are coming from the county versus other sources.
Scott won’t claim the seat, but he’s still proud to have been neck-and-neck with a longtime incumbent. Kelly won with 52.2% and Scott had 47.8%.
Scott said he was honored and blessed to run for District 1.
“I have a message that resonates with individuals, but I think the biggest thing is that people really understood that I care and am passionate about being a servant and working for the constituents,” Scott said.
He hopes the commission can work as a cohesive unit — even as commissioners represent their districts, he said it would be good to see them work together and not isolate themselves into cliques.
Scott still looks forward to having a positive impact on the community.
“I am of the persuasion to say that whatever our policies and whatever our regulation is, it should do no harm,” he said. “And if we start at that point, I think that’s what could bring people together.”
Results were slow to trickle in from precincts because quite a few folks were still lined up at polling locations at 7 p.m., according to Jamie Shew, Douglas County clerk.
The county clerk’s office sent out a report showing that, as of 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, 23,014 county residents had voted. That’s about 29% of the total 80,202 residents who are registered to vote in Douglas County. By the final election night totals, turnout was at 40.6%.
Douglas County election results will not be final and certified until after the canvass, which is set for Monday, Aug. 17.
If local news matters to you, please help us keep doing this work.
Don’t miss a beat — get the latest news from the Times delivered to your inbox:
Click here to learn more about our newsletters first
Wulfe Wulfemeyer (they/them), reporter and news editor, has worked with The Lawrence Times since May 2025. They can be reached at [email protected].
Read their complete bio here. Read their work for the Times here.
More coverage: Election 2026
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
