City Council election candidates for District 1 spoke at a forum hosted by the Wichita Journalism Collaborative at the Marcus Welcome Center on Wichita State’s campus on Tuesday in preparation for the primary election on Aug. 5.
Candidates Aujanae Bennett, Darryl Carrington, Lawanda Deshazer, Chris Pumpelly and Joseph Shepard, all of whom are non-partisan, spoke on issues of equity. Specifically, the housing crisis in District 1, how diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives will continue with federal ordinances and the issues of public safety.
Opening Statements
The forum began with opening statements from the candidates, who were arranged in alphabetical order by last name. Each had two minutes to speak.
Bennett grew up in Wichita and District 1. Working with Habitat for Humanity, she aimed to make houses more affordable and worked to generate funding for more jobs in the area.
In her opening statement, Bennet discussed her role in uncovering the 50-year health crisis in the district, working to provide health screenings, as well as soil and vapor testing. She said she’s running on a platform of affordable homeownership, changing the health crisis in the neighborhood and bringing jobs to the area.
“Whether we realize it or not, District 1 is the heart of Wichita, and I call it home,” Bennett said. “I love this place, and so I want to see it grow … Too often, District 1 is left behind and overlooked, but that ends today.”
Carrington, who served on the Fairmont Neighborhood Association board in most of its offices. He also worked at WSU, initially as a plumber, but later became a community liaison between the university and the Fairmount Neighborhood. He is running on a platform that focuses heavily on strengthening and forming neighborhood roots, especially in the Fairmount neighborhood around Wichita State.
In his statement, he described himself as a public servant rather than a politician.
Deshazer spoke about her platform ideas of affordable housing, economic opportunity, public safety, mental health, infrastructure and equitable leadership. She called herself a servant leader and emphasized her belief in people over politics.
“I will speak up for the voiceless, I will fight for equity, and I will remain accountable to the people who elect me,” Deshazer said. “This isn’t about a title, it’s about transformation.”
Chris Pumpelly discussed his interest in public life and his accomplishments in bolstering public life in Wichita. He founded Proud in Wichita, pushed for the non-discrimination ordinance that was passed in 2021, and also passed the first tree policy in Wichita, among others.
Joseph Shepard, who attended WSU as a first-generation student and served two terms as the student body president, discussed his platform ideals of economic advancement, cultivating community and building trust. In his statement, he talked about the adversity he faced growing up: homelessness, poverty and seeing siblings interacting with police and taking a different path in life.
“I wanted to use my lived experiences … to fight for individuals to have opportunity and access and the ability to obtain their college education, to change the trajectory of their life as well,” Shepard said. “… I’m running because I’m a servant who is ready to get to work and fight for you and the values that we share.”
Question and Answer
The forum entered the Q&A portion of the evening after opening statements, with questions from the Wichita Journalism Collaborative and audience members. Several questions were directed at just two of the candidates, for the sake of time, but all answered the same number of questions.
The questions ranged from affordable housing to their thoughts on the city council decision passed Tuesday morning. Each candidate had individual approaches to questions, but there was a consensus on the overarching ideas of each.
During the Q&A, candidate Pumpelly repeatedly began his answers with a rebuttal to Shepard.
When moderators asked about the city council decision that took place on Tuesday, allowing the city manager to eliminate DEI language and policies, the question was open to all candidates, and Pumpelly took the time to put down Shepard indirectly for his involvement with Mayor Wu and Glasscock.
“We have to remember who are the people that helped make this happen,” Pumpelly said. “It was Mayor Lily Wu … and the people who put her there need to be held responsible. They need to be held accountable, regardless of the high-minded rhetoric, when they stab people in the back that are working for progress and enable the far right. There needs to be accountability.”
In Shepard’s responses, he mentioned Pumpelly’s efforts but said that he is his “own person” and that his relationships with WSU alums Mayor Wu and Glasscock don’t define him.
“You gotta build relationships and trust, and in order to build trust, you have to get proximate to people,” Shepard said. “… My ability to work across the aisle and get proximate with folks different than me … Does not mean that I don’t stand for my community … All these other folks don’t define what I believe and who I am.”
Soon after, when candidates spoke about mental health, Pumpelly took the bulk of his time for his answer to fully call out Shepard.
“It’s not rumor or suspicion that Joseph Shepard was supporting Lily Wu and stabbed Brandon Whipple in the back and turned our progress backwards — he did it intentionally,” Pumpelly said. “He tried to lie about it, he tried to cover it up, he made it happen.”
Audience members began shouting how unnecessary Pumpelly’s speech was, shouting “That’s unnecessary,” and “That’s disrespectful.”
After, the rest of the Q&A continued without further off-track interruptions.
Closing Statements
Candidates gave a closing statement once the Q&A ended that reflected their discussions in the forum and reiterated any information they wanted audience members to take away.
Shepard reiterated that throughout his life, he grew up with adversity and talked about his willingness to work across the aisle with those who disagree with him to get things done and change the quality of life in District 1 for the better.
Pumpelly expressed how transparent and open he is, and how he can be counted on to change Wichita and District 1 for the better.
“Even if you don’t necessarily agree with me all the time, it’s a matter of trust,” Pumpelly said. “I believe we can become a greater city … This is the future we are destined for, if we choose it.”
Deshazer talked about her experiences with boots-on-the-ground politics and how she plans to bring voices to the voiceless and resources to those who don’t have resources. Carrington reiterated that he isn’t a politician but a public servant. He expressed that if people want to see the neighborhood better, they should elect a public servant over a politician.
Bennett talked about how she’s already been working to better the neighborhood in the areas she’s campaigning on and how she doesn’t plan to stop.
“Not only have you heard my desires, my heartfelt passions for District 1 here tonight, but you have seen me fighting in the trenches to get the results,” Bennett said. “I love District 1, this is my home.”
The primary election will be on Aug. 5, and two of the candidates will go on the ballot for the election in November.
