Former Mission Mayor Laura McConwell says she’s considering running for the state Senate seat that will come open with Democrat Barbara Bollier running for the U.S. Senate.
McConwell, mayor of Mission from 2002 to 2014, confirmed to the Sunflower State Journal that she was looking to run for the northeast Johnson County Senate seat.
McConwell is a Republican who served three terms as Mission’s mayor. She ran for the Johnson County Commission in 2014 but lost to former Prairie Village Mayor Ron Shaffer.
When McConwell was mayor of Mission, the city invested heavily in infrastructure. The city increased sales tax to pay for roads and repairs to a city pool. Both taxes were approved by Mission voters.
She also launched the redevelopment of the former Mission Mall site, which is now expected to open in phases in 2020 and 2021.
The city also adopted a new way to finance street improvements that critics called a “driveway tax,” which the Kansas Supreme Court later ruled violated state law.
The Brown University graduate is president of the Johnson County Bar Association and a member of the Johnson County Parks and Recreation Foundation. She earned her law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Under McConwell’s leadership, the city was credited for employing strategies to foster sustainability and “smart growth.”
Smart Growth America, for example, praised the city’s comprehensive plan that emphasized neighborhood revitalization, infrastructure improvement, stormwater management and multiple transportation options.
McConwell was Kansas mayor of the year in 2008.
So far, most of the focus has been on Democrats seeking the District 7 seat, which has leaned Democratic over the years.
Former Kansas Democratic Party Executive Director Ethan Corson has already announced his candidacy for the state Senate seat.
Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Clayton is considering a race for the Senate. She said she’s still meeting people in the district before making a decision about whether to run.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly defeated Republican Kris Kobach in District 7 by about 39 percentage points last year, and Democratic Congresswoman Sharice Davids beat Republican Kevin Yoder by 28 percentage points.
The district also went for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Democrat Paul Davis in 2014 and Barack Obama in 2012.
