Johnathan Duncan
Johnathan Duncan | |
|---|---|
 Duncan in 2023 | |
| Member of the Kansas City City Council from the 6th district | |
| Assumed office August 1, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Kevin McManus |
| Personal details | |
| Education | University of Kansas |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Website | Official website |
Johnathan Duncan is an American politician who has represented the 6th district on the Kansas City, Missouri, City Council since August 1, 2023. He was elected in June 2023, defeating former Jackson County legislator Dan Tarwater.
Before taking office, Duncan worked as director of administrative operations at the national headquarters of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and was an organizer with the tenant union KC Tenants. He served in the Iraq War and graduated from the University of Kansas.
Early life and education
Duncan grew up in Newton, Kansas. He enlisted in the Kansas Army National Guard at age 17 to help pay for college and began studying at the University of Kansas. His unit, the 161st Field Artillery, was activated in October 2005 for deployment to Iraq, where he served as a specialist. He returned to the United States in 2007 after an 18-month deployment.
After his deployment, Duncan resumed his studies at Kansas and earned a degree in English. He participated in the university's Collegiate Veterans Association, which helped student veterans with enrollment and tuition issues and worked to establish a veterans' lounge. He has spoken publicly about experiencing post-traumatic stress after his military service and receiving help from other veterans.
Career and organizing
In 2013, Duncan worked as a sales manager at a sign company in Lawrence, Kansas, and was preparing to become junior vice commander of the local VFW post. He later worked at the VFW's national headquarters in Kansas City as director of administrative operations. He left that job in July 2023 to serve full-time on the city council.
Duncan organized with KC Tenants before his council campaign. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he participated in the union's disruptions of virtual eviction hearings. He said the displacement of residents from the Heart Village mobile home park for a new Jackson County jail prompted him to run for office.
Kansas City Council
2023 election
Duncan ran for the 6th district's in-district council seat in 2023. He ran to succeed Kevin McManus. Duncan received support from KC Tenants Power, the union's political organization. During the campaign, he supported publicly financed housing rented below market rates and reparations for Black residents, and opposed adding police officers.
In the April 4 primary, Duncan finished second with 2,805 votes, behind Tarwater's 5,304. Duncan defeated Tarwater in the June 20 general election, receiving 6,903 votes to Tarwater's 5,313, or approximately 56.5 percent of the vote. He took office on August 1, 2023.
Housing and homelessness
In April 2024, Duncan voted against restarting the application process for a proposed low-barrier homeless shelter. The council's 8-to-2 decision required the nonprofit Hope Faith to reapply for more than $7 million in federal funding. Duncan criticized the decision as inconsistent with the council's commitments to residents experiencing homelessness.
In July 2026, Duncan sponsored an emergency measure authorizing city-funded repairs at North Lawn Apartments, where residents had reported sewage problems, infestations and utility outages. The measure provided for recovery of repair costs from the property owner through a special tax assessment. In August, the council repealed the measure and directed the city manager to negotiate a repair agreement with the new owner, earmarking $500,000 for tenant relocation assistance. City Manager Mario Vasquez cited safety, liability and contracting concerns. Duncan opposed the replacement plan.
Public safety and transportation
In September 2024, Duncan was the sole opponent of a council decision to allocate $16 million to a temporary detention facility at police headquarters. He sought to delay the vote until the financial implications were clearer and argued that the city should devote more resources to prevention. In October 2025, he was again the only dissenting council member when the city approved $22 million for a temporary modular jail. He questioned how the spending would affect funding for rehabilitation and reintegration.
During consideration of the city's 2026–2027 budget, Duncan proposed moving some police funding above the state-required minimum to bus service. The amendment failed; Eric Bunch was the only other council member to support it. In June 2026, Mayor Quinton Lucas appointed Duncan to the board of commissioners of the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority.
Stadium financing
In August 2026, Duncan voted against an agreement providing $600 million in city funding for a proposed Kansas City Royals stadium at Crown Center. The council approved the agreement 11 to 2. Duncan criticized the financial terms and the opportunities for public participation in the decision.
In September 2026, Duncan voted against up to $185 million in public financing for an expansion of CPKC Stadium and related riverfront development. The measure passed 9 to 3, with Nathan Willett and Melissa Patterson Hazley also voting against it. Duncan argued that the financing would divert revenue from the city's general fund despite the developers' guarantee to cover debt-payment shortfalls.
LGBTQ policy
Duncan sponsored a resolution adopted in June 2024 directing the city manager to assess the needs of Kansas City's transgender residents and recommend services and funding. It required consultation with the transgender community and the city's LGBTQ Commission. The assessment was in draft form in June 2025, when Duncan called for action on its recommendations.
In May 2026, Duncan voted with the council majority to repeal Kansas City's 2019 ban on conversion therapy. The repeal passed 7 to 5 amid litigation against the city and a U.S. Supreme Court ruling concerning a similar Colorado law. Duncan cited the potential cost of litigation, but later expressed regret that the city had not consulted LGBTQ leaders or prepared a replacement before repealing the ban.
In June, Duncan and Lucas announced a proposal to prohibit compensated therapeutic practices defined as harmful. The proposal addressed harms such as self-injury and depression and would apply to adults as well as minors. At an August 22 public forum, participants reviewed draft language and raised concerns about enforcement, scope and possible legal challenges.
Electoral history
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Dan T. Tarwater III | 5,304 | 45.4 |
| Johnathan Duncan | 2,805 | 24.0 |
| Tiffany Moore | 1,450 | 12.4 |
| Cecelia Carter | 1,350 | 11.6 |
| Michael Schuckman | 744 | 6.4 |
| Write-in | 34 | 0.3 |
| Total | 11,687 | 100.0 |
Percentages may not sum to 100 because of rounding.
| Candidate | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Johnathan Duncan | 6,903 | 56.5 |
| Dan T. Tarwater III | 5,313 | 43.5 |
| Total | 12,216 | 100.0 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Johnathan Duncan". Ballotpedia. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Calacal, Celisa (June 20, 2023). "Kansas City election results: Here's who will represent the city for the next 4 years". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Calacal, Celisa; Brancart, Claudia; Kraske, Steve (May 24, 2023). "A former county legislator and a KC Tenants organizer are vying for Kansas City's 6th District seat". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Strunk, Adam (May 27, 2013). "On Memorial Day, young veteran wants fellow citizens to think about cost of war". Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bradley, Don (August 14, 2023). "Introducing Johnathan Duncan". Martin City Telegraph. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- 1 2 "Summary Results Report: Municipal Primary School and Special Election, April 4, 2023" (PDF). Kansas City Election Board. April 14, 2023. p. 5. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- 1 2 "Summary Results Report: Municipal General and Special Election, June 20, 2023" (PDF). Kansas City Election Board. June 28, 2023. p. 4. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Hawley-Bates, Savannah (April 25, 2024). "Kansas City planned to open a low-barrier homeless shelter. After criticism, it's starting over". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Hawley-Bates, Savannah (July 24, 2026). "Kansas City will pay to repair troubled apartment complex that landlord ignored for years". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Calacal, Celisa (August 17, 2026). "Kansas City shifts North Lawn repair plan to new landlord, but tenants may have to move out". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Calacal, Celisa (September 20, 2024). "Kansas City will spend $16 million to reopen jail inside KCPD HQ, in response to outcry over crime". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Calacal, Celisa (October 16, 2025). "Kansas City approves $22 million to build temporary jail in time for next year's World Cup". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Hawley-Bates, Savannah (April 2, 2026). "What to know about Kansas City's funding for police, buses and more in the $2.6 billion budget". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ "KCATA Welcomes KCMO Councilman Johnathan Duncan To Board" (Press release). Kansas City Area Transportation Authority. June 24, 2026. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Flores, Cassandra Isobelle; Azim, Brandon; Ziegler, Laura (August 20, 2026). "Kansas City Council greenlights $600 million in public funding for downtown Royals stadium". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Felts, Tommy (September 11, 2026). "KC adds another big project to the scoreboard, backing Current's $1.4B riverfront expansion". Startland News. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ "Resolution 240530". City of Kansas City, Missouri. June 27, 2024. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Merchant, Josh (June 7, 2025). "Kansas City called itself a 'safe haven' for transgender people. Is it fulfilling that promise?". The Beacon. Retrieved October 26, 2026 – via KCUR.
- 1 2 Calacal, Celisa (June 8, 2026). "Kansas City is working on a new conversion therapy ban. Here's what to know". KCUR. Retrieved October 26, 2026.
- ↑ Gloor, Jordan (September 2, 2026). "LGBTQ advocates weigh in on proposed conversion therapy ban in Kansas City". Kansas City Documenters. The Beacon. Retrieved October 26, 2026.