Four candidates run for UG Commission, 1st District

The 1st District incumbent, Nathan Barnes, is running in the UG mayor's contest.

The candidates are on the primary ballot in the 1st District, which is in the northeast area of Kansas City, Kan.

The candidates, in alphabetical order, include:

Unified Government Commission, 1st District

James Connelly

James Connelly, 47, is housing manager for the Kansas City, Kan., Housing Authority.

He attended DeVry University, information technology; MBA, Phoenix University.

He is running because he is a person of service who is willing to partner with and work with other commissioners to ensure the citizens of the 1st District receive their fair share of county revenues to improve streets, sidewalks and community policing. He wanted to ensure that senior citizen funding is maintained and improve youth services. Creating economic and job opportunities are his priority.

    Connelly belongs to the Wyandotte County NAACP, Optimist Club, and is a board member of the Wyandotte County Human Relations Commission.

Victor A. Harris Sr.

Victor Harris, 55, is in the security field. He holds a high school diploma.

He is running because he saw a need in the community and felt there was a need for change. He stated he wants to give the voice back to the community.

Harris has coordinated the Juneteenth celebration at Big 11 Lake, has coached youths, and has served as sergeant-at-arms for the Wyandotte County Democratic Party.

Winfred Manning

Winfred Manning is retired from 25 years service as a firefighter. He is a native of Wyandotte County.

He said the 1st District used to have homes next to each other, but now there are a lot of vacant lots. “My goal is to build and maintain what we have in District 1,” he said.

He would like to rebuild neighborhoods, restore the tax base and improve safety.  

“We need to work with businesses to maintain those we have, and help create jobs,” he said.

Gayle E. Townsend

Gayle Townsend is currently an enforcement attorney in the Office of the Regional Counsel for a federal transportation agency.

A native of Kansas City, Kan., she has a law degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, a bachelor’s degree with a major in accounting from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and is a Sumner High School graduate. She worked as property accounting manager for a major international freight transportation company for several years before seeking her law degree. She has served on several area boards, including the United Way, the YWCA and the Trinity Williams Educational Foundation.

“The opportunity has now presented itself and the time is now right for me to offer in service whatever educational, business and legal skills and talents I possess, which were first developed and nurtured in the northeast end of Wyandotte County, to my fellow residents of that community, to seek its improvement and the continued betterment of the county as a whole,” she stated. “I am running to serve.”