The Mayor and CEO of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, Joe Reardon, announced today he would not seek reelection for a third term this spring. In a letter from his office, Reardon said he made the decision based on personal reasons.
“I have a family at home that I love very much. It is important to me that I spend more time with them. My two sons are growing up much too quickly,” he said in his letter, which is posted in full on his Facebook page.
The mayor’s announcement did not come as a surprise to insiders, according to some members of the UG Board of Commissioners.
One commissioner, Nathan Barnes, has filed as a candidate for Reardon’s position.
Another commissioner, Mark Holland, said in a phone conversation he was considering a run. Holland praised Reardon for his success as a “leader, community servant and politician.”
Reardon was named Kansas Mayor of the Year last year by the Kansas Mayor’s Association.
Reardon was praised for his leadership bringing Google Fiber to Kansas City, construction of a Cerner branch in the Village West Development and the opening of a new casino.
The filing deadline for the February 26 primary is January 22. The general election is April 2.
