Kay Barnes
| Kay Waldo Barnes | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of the City of Kansas City, Missouri | |
| In office May 1999 – May 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Emanuel Cleaver |
| Succeeded by | Mark Funkhouser |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 30, 1938 St. Joseph, Missouri |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Alma mater | University of Kansas, University of Missouri–Kansas City |
| Occupation | retired business owner |
Kay Waldo Barnes (born March 30, 1938) is a former two-term mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. She was the Democratic nominee for Missouri's 6th congressional district (map) of the United States House of Representatives in the 2008 election against Republican incumbent Sam Graves.
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[edit] Biography
A native of St. Joseph, Missouri, she earned a B.S. degree in secondary education from the University of Kansas and a masters in secondary education from the University of Missouri–Kansas City.[1] She was president of Kay Waldo, Inc., a human resources development firm until her retirement. She is a cousin of famous journalist Walter Cronkite.[2] Barnes can often be seen power-walking around the Briarcliff subdivision in Kansas City where she resides.
[edit] Career
In 1974, she was one of the first two women on the Jackson County Legislature. She was elected to the Kansas City council in 1979.
Barnes was the first female mayor of Kansas City. Mayor Barnes has received the most credit for her work in improving Downtown Kansas City and working for beginning the revitalization of the urban core. She is also credited with the Sprint Center arena in Kansas City that opened on October 10, 2007. She was first elected mayor on her birthday in 1999, and re-elected for a second term in 2003. She was succeeded as mayor of Kansas City on May 1, 2007 when Mark Funkhouser took office.
At Missouri Democratic functions, beginning in April, 2007, Mayor Barnes made it clear that she was seriously considering a run for Congress in 2008, and on May 14, 2007 she officially announced her candidacy. She was endorsed by Emily's List.[3] On August 5, 2008, Barnes won against Ali Allon Sherkat in the Democratic primary with 84.5% of the vote.[4] The election was expected to be competitive.[5]
She is the Distinguished Professor for Public Leadership at Park University.[6]
In late 2007, Barnes announced she would run in the Democratic primary for Missouri's 6th congressional district, held by four-term Republican Sam Graves. She was the strongest Democrat to run in the district since it fell into Republican hands in 2001. Although the race was very hard-fought, Barnes was soundly defeated, taking only 37 percent of the vote. Graves even trounced her in the areas of the district closer to Kansas City.
[edit] Legacy
Barnes was a principal architect of Kansas City's deal with private investors to develop the downtown Power and Light District. The terms of the deal essentially require the City to pay for shortfalls in revenue on the servicing of the bonds issued to develop the district. P&L has been a fiscal disaster for Kansas City with the city perennially paying millions of dollars on the bond obligations.[7][8] Some have suggested an investigation into Barnes' direct and indirect relationships with developer Cordish Co.[9] and the financing banks should take place.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Bio information on Barnes, Graves". Fort Mill Times. September 30, 2008. http://www.fortmilltimes.com/124/story/306466.html. Retrieved 2008-10-17.[dead link]
- ^ Cronkite wins Truman neighbor award Lawrence Journal-World, May 9, 2004
- ^ Kay Barnes, U.S. House, MO Emily's List
- ^ U.S. Representative - District 6 Missouri Secretary of State election results
- ^ "Most Missouri lawmakers oppose bailout measure". Examiner. September 30, 2008. http://www.examiner.com/a-1613557~Most_Missouri_lawmakers_oppose_bailout_measure.html. Retrieved 2008-10-17.[dead link]
- ^ "Mayor Kay Barnes to Join Park University, Lead New Center". Park University. April 4, 2007. http://news.park.edu/pub/news_00510.shtml. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
- ^ Kansas City Power & Light District ruling will be costly to KC taxpayers
- ^ Power & Light District's stunning $15 million black hole
- ^ AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR CAMPAIGN DONOR SEARCH ENGINE
[edit] External links
- Kay Barnes for U.S. Congress official campaign website
- Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
- Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
- Missouri District 6 campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Profile at SourceWatch Congresspedia
- Kay Barnes at the Open Directory Project
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Emanuel Cleaver |
Mayors of Kansas City, Missouri 1999-2007 |
Succeeded by Mark Funkhouser |
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