Best of KC 2023: KC Tenants cleaned house in person and in elections

At-large candidates take the stage for a panel at the KC Tenants Power forum Feb. 25. // Courtesy of KC Tenants Power Twitter

This month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can browse the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some of our current favorite things about Kansas City in 2023. We’ll be publishing these items online throughout November. 

We’re not ashamed to admit that KC Tenants seems to make our Best of Kansas City editorial list every year. With what they’ve been able to accomplish since they helped establish the Tenant Bill of Rights with the city in 2019, few would argue the nonprofit tenant union’s efforts don’t already place them amongst the top regional political efforts of the decade. 

After securing a $50 million bond “to house the people” in Nov. 2022, The Tenants continued to rack up wins this year through a new sister organization, KC Tenants Power. The legislative arm of the organization hit the scene “focused on winning governing power for tenants.” 

In a wildly successful citywide effort, the faction issued its own endorsements in the June 20 City Council election. A definitive win came in the city’s 6th District, where KC Tenants Power leader and Iraq veteran Jonathan Duncan earned 56.50% of the vote to cap a 13-point upset over longtime Jackson County Legislator Dan T. Tarwater III. 

Duncan’s success here was the headliner, but perhaps equally as impressive was the margin by which another KC Tenant leader, Jenay Manley, lost to a candidate with significantly greater resources in the 2nd District At-Large race. Pulling ahead by just 1,304 votes, Lindsay French (51.61%, 20,937 votes) topped Manley (48.39%. 19,633) in what should be remembered as a moral victory for the movement. To become substantial enough in message and organization to garner an actual city council seat in a matter of just five years is not the norm in the political world. This movement is special, and we, as Kansas Citians, should continue to recognize and appreciate that.