KC Tenants announces second round of endorsements for the 2023 City Council election

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

KC Tenants Power announced their second round of endorsements for the 2023 City Council Elections Tuesday. They have decided to put their support behind Melissa Robinson (3rd in-district), Eric Bunch (4th in-district), Michael Kelley (5th district at large), and Andrea Bough (6th district at large).

These endorsements come after KC Tenants Power hosted their first-ever candidate forum Feb. 25. where they gave each candidate the opportunity to speak on issues important to them and connect with the audience.

As a sibling organization to the citywide tenant union KC Tenants, KC Tenant Power is focused on lifting up candidates who speak for poor and working-class people in Kansas City. They are especially focused on increasing real, affordable housing for the city’s tenants.

The organization is making two endorsements in the April 4 primary election: Tenant Champions and Tenant Allies. They announced their first round of endorsements for Tenant Champions in early Feb., backing Jenay Manley (2nd at large) and Johnathan Duncan (6th in-district). 

These endorsements come after a KC Tenants Power leadership meeting March 4, and these decisions don’t come without debate and in-depth research.

KC Tenants uses a scorecard system to assess the candidates’ background, commitment to co-governance, campaign financing, and positions on a range of issues in The People’s Platform—their statement of values and a vision for the city. They also consider the responses they received on a candidate questionnaire that went to everyone in KC Tenants Power.

“KC Tenants Power endorsements represent the support of over 5,000 poor and working-class tenants and allies in KCMO, and we do not mess around,” Maya Neal, a leader with KC Tenants Power, says. “Our boots are on the ground, and our Tenant Champions and Tenant Allies will receive the full force of the power we have built.” 

When candidates receive an endorsement from KC Tenants Power, they are not only getting name recognition. Endorsed candidates will receive field and communications support, including phone banks and canvasses, until the primary election. They are aiming to reach 30,000 KC voters this election.

You can view a full list of endorsed candidates with bios on their website. Also, keep an eye out for KC Tenants Power’s comprehensive voter guide that will be released March 14.