Paperwork filed for Wichita mayoral campaigns

Several prospective mayoral candidates have filed paperwork to begin collecting campaign money well ahead of the spring election.

Mayor Carl Brewer cannot run again after serving two terms.

Council member Jeff Longwell, who represents District 5 in west Wichita, has filed paperwork for a treasurer in his pursuit of the office.

Longwell was appointed to the council in 2007 and was elected for a second term in April 2011. He served as vice mayor from April 2010 to April 2011. He was previously a member of the Maize school board for 12 years.

“The whole reason I’m looking to compete for the mayoral spot is the simple fact that we believe we have solutions that will benefit Wichita,” Longwell said. “I think there’s a need and I think we can help solve that.”

County elections office documents show that Longwell’s treasurer is Mike Kuckelman.

Local attorney Sean Hatfield has also filed paperwork to form an exploratory committee for mayor.

Hatfield practices at Maughan Law Group, which he joined in 2010. He moved to Wichita in 2009.

“We can’t move forward with the same recycled tired leadership at city hall,” Hatfield said. “We need a diverse economy and the mayor and City Council, I don’t think they can create jobs, but the right city policies can promote job growth.”

He also thinks the city should consider more green initiatives, like citywide recycling, which could improve the quality of life and generate revenue if run properly, he said.

He is a native of Bennington and attended the University of Kansas for his undergraduate degree and went to law school at Valparaiso University in Indiana.

Hatfield is also part of the Coalition for a Better Wichita, a group that opposes the 1-cent-on-the-dollar city sales tax measure that will be on the November ballot.

Hatfield’s treasurer is attorney Blake Shuart of Hutton and Hutton law firm.

Earlier this month, Jennifer Winn announced she was also vying for the mayoral position. Winn ran against Gov. Sam Brownback in the August Republican primary, winning about 37 percent of the votes.

Winn filed her paperwork last week, with Shelly Pribanic listed as treasurer.

Robert Culver, who works at Tennison Brothers, a sheet metal manufacturer, has also filed paperwork. Culver’s treasurer is Natasha Witt, according to public documents.

The spring registration deadline for candidates to file is Jan. 27, 2015, according to the Sedgwick County Election Office.

This story was originally published September 30, 2014 at 1:11 PM with the headline "Paperwork filed for Wichita mayoral campaigns."