Though some Lawrence voters at the polls Tuesday pushed against the potential return of current and past public officials, others preferred those with experience.
Much public discourse about incumbents versus newcomers led up to Election Day. Polls will close at 7 p.m. (Last-minute voters can find info about how to cast their ballots in this article.)
Four candidates, narrowed in the Aug. 5 primary, are running for two Lawrence City Commission seats. Newcomers Mike Courtney and Kristine Polian, former commissioner Bob Schumm, and incumbent Bart Littlejohn will face off.
In the Lawrence school board race, three seats will be up for grabs. Newcomers ChrisTopher Niles Enneking, Matt Lancaster, Pam Shaw and Molly Starr are challenging incumbents Bob Byers, Kelly Jones and Shannon Kimball.
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Married couple of 33 years Sally and Douglas Burger cast their votes Tuesday for Polian and Courtney for City Commission and for Starr, Enneking and Lancaster — all newcomers. They voted at their neighborhood grocery store, Checkers.
Sally, a retired Lawrence school district paraeducator, expressed disappointment with the school board’s 2024 vote to close two elementary schools and a lack of transparency from the City Commission, among other issues.
“We agree that some of these people really have become yes men,” Sally, 71, said. “I think that perhaps our city administrators are wielding far too much power, and the commission is going along with what they have to say instead of listening to us as voters.”
The Lawrence Community Building, 115 W. 11th St., in January will no longer be open for free play and exercise. Douglas, 72, said that’s a loss for him and Sally, but he blames the commission and not Parks and Recreation staff.
Lawrence city commissioners voted in September to approve a budget that adds fees for residents to use Sports Pavilion Lawrence and the Holcom Park and East Lawrence recreation centers beginning Jan. 5.
“The way they’re treating the east side is horrible,” Douglas said. “First of all, they build the palace of recreation facilities out on the west side, and then they say, ‘Well, you’ve got your center here on the east side.’ Then they close it. And they also said, you’ll never pay for this, you know, it’s not going to cost you anything. Now, you’re going to have to pay.”
Local seats don’t tend to get as much attention as presidential ones, but school board members and city commissioners are often responsible for making the decisions that most directly affect Lawrence residents’ daily lives.
Nikki Huntington, 44, cast her ballot Tuesday afternoon at Sports Pavilion Lawrence,. She said she’s passionate about civic engagement and hopes to instill that in her young children.
“It’s easy for us to show up to a meeting or to send an email when we’re really frustrated with something local government-wise,” Huntington said. “But I would really encourage people, when something is going right, to do the same thing.”
Huntington said as someone with a background in local government, federal politics tend to influence the way voters feel about their cities and counties. She chose not to divulge her ballot selections but said she always values incumbency and “fresh blood.”
“Anybody who’s new to Lawrence moving in might feel like, you know, wow, if so-and-so has been here for years, we need to change. We need something different,” Huntington said. “So, I understand that.
“But there are also benefits to incumbents as well, because they understand the budgets, they understand the ins and outs of each level, and have gone through — certainly, some of our incumbents on the school board have gone through COVID. That was a really difficult time to weather,” she continued. “So I think everybody should come out and vote so that your voice is heard.”
A University of Kansas student who’s not originally from Lawrence, Kiera Hageman had to do her research before Tuesday.
Hageman, 20, cast her ballot at the Douglas County Human Services Building, voting solely for Courtney for City Commission and Byers for school board.
“Where I stand is more of, if a person has experience, I want to know what they’ve done while they’ve held that role or position, if I agree with it, and if I think they could have done more,” Hageman said. “If I think, ‘Not necessarily,’ then maybe it’s time to get some new blood in there.”
Voting continues until 7 p.m. Tuesday. If you need to find your polling place, visit myvoteinfo.voteks.org.
Voters must present a valid photo ID to cast their ballots in person. If you are in line to vote by 7 p.m., you will be allowed to cast your ballot.
For more information, including candidate questionnaires, visit lawrencekstimes.com/election2025.
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Maya Hodison (she/her), equity reporter, can be reached at mhodison@lawrencekstimes.com. Read more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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