Michelle Distler will become Shawnee’s new mayor, and other Johnson County election results

Shawnee Councilwoman Michelle Distler will move into that city’s mayoral seat, defeating Dan Pflumm in Tuesday’s general election.

Distler won with a comfortable but not overwhelming margin; she captured nearly 54 percent of the vote. Distler ran on a plank that included promoting government transparency, something that’s been largely hard to come by in Shawnee government in recent years.

Shawnee has had a difficult time growing in meaningful ways in recent years, owing in part to a city government that at times resembles a high school popularity contest. The Kansas City Star in 2012 chronicled the catty and at times secretive behavior among some elected officials and top administrators in Shawnee, findings that were largely confirmed by The Pitch. 

Jeff Meyer, Shawnee’s current mayor, decided not to run for another term.

Another change is taking root in Shawnee government. Neal Sawyer, an incumbent councilman there, lost his bid for re-election to Eric Jenkins. Otherwise, incumbents Stephanie Meyer, Mickey Sandifer and Jim Neighbor retained their seats.

Incumbents won the day in Olathe, where that city’s mayor, Michael Copeland, demolished his little-known opponent, Jason Reed. Copeland gathered up more than 85 percent of the vote en route to a fifth term as Olathe’s mayor. Like Ed Eilert when he ran things in Overland Park, Copeland can probably remain mayor in Olathe as long as it suits him.

Sitting Olathe councilmembers John Bacon, Larry Campbell and Jim Randall all kept their seats.

In Roeland Park, Erin Thompson kept persistent gadfly Linda Mau off the City Council, defeating Mau by nine votes to win that city’s third ward. Thompson will replace Megan England, who decided not to run for another term.

Michael Poppa defeated Joanna Rush by a slim five votes to win Roeland Park’s fourth ward.

For a roundup on how social issues affected Roeland Park politics, check out this story.