Kansas City, MO City Councilmember Lindsay French, representing the 2nd Council District in the At-Large Seat, became the first candidate to kickoff their campaign for city council. French, in her first term on council, is a friendly incumbent and ally to labor. If you live anywhere within Kansas City, MO, you will be able to vote for her on April 6th, 2027. She has been endorsed by most area labor unions.
Councilmember French thanked the gathered crowd at The Levee for their support and pledged her continuing support for the issues that labor unions champion. French discussed the need to push development forward in the city, citing a lack of cranes in the downtown skyline as evidence of a lack of construction projects for workers.
French’s fundraiser saw her earn support from the following unions: Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades, Boilermakers Local 83, Bricklayers Local 15, Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 518, IBEW Local 124, IUEC Local 12, Heat & Frost Insulators Local 27, Insulation Prod. Workers Local 1, Ironworkers Local 10, Operating Engineers Local 101, Pipe Fitters Local 533, Plumbers Local 8, Road Sprinkler Fitters Local 669, Roofers Local 20, Sheet Metal Workers Local 2, Sprinklerfitters Local 314, Teamsters Local 541, and IAFF Local 42. Union leaders Ralph Oropeza, Mike Talboy, Dan Heizman, and Matt Dowd also personally supported the kickoff.
Current and former local elected officials also supported this kick-off event, including Rep. Emily Weber, Councilman Crispin Rea, and Clay County Commissioner Scott Wagner.
While this may seem early, the soft campaign for city council and to replace Mayor Quinton Lucas, who is termed out, has already begun. Councilmembers Wes Rogers, Melissa Patterson Hazley, Ryana Parks-Shaw, and Crispin Rea are rumored to be exploring a run for mayor. All of those mentioned may not end up running, but organized labor needs to make sure that it is placing political allies on city council. Starting early can help with that effort.
Local labor unions will lose working-class champion and strong union-ally Councilman Kevin O’Neill, who sits in the 1st At-Large Council District, so they are seeking to make sure that a strong coalition of pro-union council people win in the next council election cycle. Councilmember O’Neill is termed out in 2027 and is, at this time, not expected to run for mayor.
Beyond Councilmember O’Neill, Councilmember Melissa Robinson, Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw, Councilmember Eric Bunch, and Councilmember Andrea Bough will all term out in 2027. This means that, at this time, as few as four out of the thirteen member council are fully expected to return: Johnathan Duncan, (6th In-District) Darrell Curls, (5th District At-Large) Lindsay French, (2nd District At-Large) and Nathan Willet. (1st In-District)
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
