Alvin Brooks

The votes are in, and two candidates are left in the race to be Kansas City’s next mayor. Alvin Brooks and Mark Funkhouser are set to face each other in the March 27 general election.

With such a large field of candidates, the margin of victory was expected to be very slim. This was not the case, though, with Brooks receiving 26.1% of the vote and Funkhouser receiving 25.5%. The next highest candidate was Albert Riederer, with 13.9% of the vote.

Funkhouser and Brooks are both familiar within city government. Funkhouser was the City Auditor for eighteen years, and Brooks was a City Council member for eight years.

This sets up an interesting match-up between the two, as both draw most of their support from different areas within the city. Brooks received more than 50% of the vote almost everywhere east of Main Street. Funkhouser’s support comes from the south and Northland voters.

Mark Funkhouser

The platforms on which the two candidates ran seem to be contrary to one another. Funkhouser was championed as the anti-City Hall candidate, with an emphasis on fiscal responsibility and infrastructure needs. Brooks comes from within City Hall and made his top priorities crime and the social needs of the community.

The two candidates ran their elections rather differently, as well. Brooks did not run a single television advertisement, while Funkhouser had the now infamous "poodle commercial." Neither candidate was among the top moneymakers, with Funkhouser being near the bottom of the list.

This election could not come at a more crucial time in Kansas City’s history. The next mayor will have to find a tenant for the new Sprint Center, fill all the vacancies in the new Power and Light District, and find a way to make the light rail proposal work. This is to be done along with the daily business of the city, such as fixing the roads (and their accompanying metal plates), balancing the city budget, and dealing with crime.

The candidates' websites can be found at http://brooks4kc.com/ and http://markfunkhouser.com/.

Copyright 2007 Metropolitan Community College