TKC Breaking News: Steineger Launches KCK Comeback For UG Mayor

This power move signals a major power shift and might be the biggest local government political power shift of the day. 

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Steineger launches UG mayor bid

June 13, 2021(Kansas City, Kan.) -- Surrounded by supporters at the historic Grinter House, former Kansas state Senator Chris Steineger today announced he is running for Mayor of Wyandotte County Unified Government. He told the crowd that county residents are plagued by high property taxes, high utility rates, and petty crime.

“The Unified Government and the Board of Public Utilities spent excessively for decades, providing generous contracts to relatives and campaign contributors and employee salaries that outpace the income of those they serve,” Steineger said. “Two percent of our population benefits while the other 98% bear the burden. It’s not fair to the working class, to the middle class,to  whites, blacks, Latinos and Asians. It’s not fair to any of us. Tax breaks for large corporations and out-of-state developers are carried on the backs of the working class and middle class citizens of all races who make their homes in Wyandotte County.”

Petty crimes, like home invasions, car thefts, and porch pirating, are on the rise, he told supporters. 

“Where petty crimes flourish, violent crime follows,” he said. 

More effective code enforcement would help, according to the former state lawmaker.

“Our code enforcement operations are a toothless tiger. Lots of driving around, lots of paperwork and lots of stickers, and yet, there are still too many ugly houses and properties blighting our neighborhoods,” he said. 

Steineger is a former state Senator, who represented Wyandotte County in the Kansas Legislature for 16 years. That experience taught him a lot about public policy making and government operations.

“I developed a lot of ideas about how to lower operating costs of our local government and pass the savings on to  citizens in the form of lower taxes and lower utility rates. I don’t have any relatives working for or contracting with the UG or the BPU, so, I won’t have any relatives’ jobs or contracts to protect. I will be solely focused on protecting the 98% of citizens who bear the brunt of excessive government spending,” he said.

During his time in public office, he helped assemble a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans to pass casino legislation allowing for the construction of the Hollywood Casino. He consistently voted in favor of giving citizens choices on a wide range of issues as a state lawmaker.

“Guns, gambling, seatbelts, motorcycle helmets, alcohol. Citizens--not politicians and bureaucrats--should make their own choices about their lives,” Steineger said. “Big government impoverishes citizens, and I prefer smaller government and empowered citizens. Wyandotte County deserves a bright and prosperous future, and I will lead us in a better direction.”

About Chris Steineger

Former state Sen. Chris Steinger represented Wyandotte County in the Kansas Senate for 16 years. As a state lawmaker he built a broad coalition of Republicans and Democrats to pass casino and gaming laws that culminated in the construction of the Hollywood Casino. The casino has raised more than $3 million for local government since it opened in 2012.

After leaving the legislature in 2013, Steineger won a Fulbright Award to teach graduate and undergraduate classes on U.S. politics in Berlin. He has lectured internationally on the U.S. Constitution, on how to grow the middle class, and advocated for free and open markets across the globe. 

Steineger is a real estate investor in his community. He recently redeveloped an abandoned school building, the Lowell School Apartments in Kansas City, Kansas, into affordable housing for seniors.

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