10 candidates file for Wichita mayor’s race

With several last-minute filings, there will be 10 candidates for the Wichita mayor’s race.

Mayor Carl Brewer cannot run again for the seat after two four-year terms.

Mayoral candidates include two City Council members, an attorney, a banker, a sheet metal worker and several business owners.

The next mayor will face a variety of issues, including finding a new water supply, repairing aging water and sewer infrastructure, determining the fate of the city’s bus system and maintaining streets.

Primaries will be held for the mayor’s race and the District 2 and District 5 council races, because those have three or more candidates.

The primary will narrow the field of candidates to two in each race for the April 7 general election.

In order to vote in the March 3 primary, residents must register to vote by Feb. 10.

Mayor’s race

Mayoral candidates are:

▪ Robert Culver, 43, sheet metal worker at Tennison Bros.

▪ Sean Hatfield, 32, attorney for Maughan Law Group

▪ Dan Heflin, 51, product engineer and owner of Nu-Ans Design and NoMar Self Storage

▪ Frances Jackson, 75. Jackson could not be reached Tuesday.

▪ Jeff Longwell, 55, owner of Ad Astra Printing and District 5 City Council member for the past eight years

▪ Tony Rosales, 38, co-owner and operator of Twin Peaks restaurant in east Wichita

▪ Tracy Stewart, 38, a banker at Bankers’ Bank of Kansas

▪ Lavonta Williams, 65, retired educator and District 1 City Council member for the past six years

▪ Sam Williams, 63, retired executive from Sullivan, Higdon & Sink, the state’s largest marketing firm

▪ Jennifer Winn, 44, owner of Landscapes Inc. Winn ran against Gov. Sam Brownback in the Republican primary last fall.

District 2

Candidates for the seat representing much of east Wichita are:

▪ Pete Meitzner, 59, managing partner at Meitzner & Associates, a consulting firm, and senior consultant at Capgemini Government Solutions. Meitzner is finishing his first four-year term on the City Council for District 2.

▪ Anthony Mitchell, 37, computer technician at NetApp

▪ Jim Price, 43, self-employed construction defense contractor

District 4

Candidates for the seat representing southwest Wichita are:

▪ Jeff Blubaugh, 42, a real estate broker at Keller Williams Realty who has served two years as District 4 City Council member since Michael O’Donnell left the seat for the Kansas Legislature

▪ Josh Shorter, 26, chief operating officer of Integrated Components and District 4 Advisory Board member

There will be no primary election for District 4.

District 5

Candidates for the seat representing northwest Wichita are:

▪ Williams Beliles, 21, a Butler Community College student

▪ Gary Bond, 57, marketing and sales for Top Master, a countertop company

▪ James F. Breitenbach, 79, farmer and retired civil servant

▪ Bryan Frye, 48, marketing director for KAKE-TV and president of the Wichita Park Board, a seven-member advisory board

This story was originally published January 27, 2015 at 2:32 PM with the headline "10 candidates file for Wichita mayor’s race."