15 candidates competing for Wichita City Council this year
The race for Wichita City Council has officially begun, with a field of 15 candidates competing for three seats on the seven-member council.
Incumbents Brandon Johnson and Cindy Claycomb are vying for re-election. Jared Cerullo, recently appointed by the council, is hoping to win over voters.
The primary city election is Aug. 3. The top two finishers in each district will face off in November’s general election.
Only district residents may cast a ballot in City Council races.
District 1
This district covers a wide swath of central and east Wichita, including the downtown core. Brandon Johnson has held the seat since 2018 and is running for a second term.
Johnson faces only one challenger, Myron Ackerman. Ackerman, a Republican, unsuccessfully challenged Democratic state Sen. Oletha Faust-Goudeau in last year’s election, garnering 29 percent of the vote.
Both names will be on the November ballot by default, unless one of the candidates drops out of the race.
District 3
This district includes parts of southeast and south Wichita.
Appointed incumbent Jared Cerullo replaced James Clendenin on the council after Clendenin resigned in the wake of a scandal over the production and attempted cover-up of a false smear campaign ad targeting Mayor Brandon Whipple.
A self-employed broadcast newsman, Cerullo faces six challengers, including several candidates who competed against him for the appointment to Clendenin’s vacated seat.
They are:
Cindy Miles — Executive director of the Nonprofit Chamber of Service and member of the Metropolitan Area Planning Commission, who unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the Sedgwick County Commission in 2020.
Ian M. Demory — A high school teacher, Demory ran for Wichita mayor in 2019.
Mike Hoheisel — A Democratic precinct committeeman and south Wichita advocate.
Jason Carmichael — Owner of JHC Enterprises, a real-estate company.
Tevin Smith — A retail worker who advocates for more government services to individuals.
Jerome C. Crawford — No occupational information available and could not be reached for comment.
District 6
This district includes Riverside, north Wichita and Old Town.
Incumbent Cindy Claycomb, who is retired, faces five challengers as she runs for a second and final term on the council.
They are:
Maggie Ballard — A small-business entrepreneur and founder of Paxton’s Blessing Box, a local charity that collects and distributes non-perishable food and hygiene items to those in need.
Martin G. Garcia — A veteran of the war in Afghanistan and advocate for overpasses at 21st Street railroad crossings.
Loren John Hermreck Jr. — Congressional District 4 coordinator for the Libertarian Party and moderator of the Facebook page Liberty ICT.
Dereck C. Reynolds — An Uber driver and founder of the Hug-a-Dad Foundation.
Andy Speck — An employee of AutoZone.
This story was originally published June 2, 2021 at 3:41 PM.
