In House District 84, Bonita Gooch defeated incumbent Ford Carr, winning 70% of the vote. Gooch, a publisher and owner of The Community Voice, campaigned on community leadership and plans to increase constituent engagement through regular district meetings and accessibility. Because no Republican filed for the District 84 seat, Gooch will appear unopposed on the November general election ballot.
In House District 89, Carol Brewer defeated Jalon Britton, 59% to 41%, to succeed Rep. KC Ohaebosim, who opted not to seek reelection after joining Sen. Cindy Holscher’s gubernatorial ticket as her running mate for lieutenant governor. Brewer founded Dorothy’s Lane, a nonprofit serving Wichita families. No Republican filed in District 89 either, so Brewer advances unopposed in November.
The third Wichita-area race, House District 83, saw a rematch at the Statehouse level: former Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple defeated incumbent Henry Helgerson, 61% to 39%. Whipple will face Republican Zachary Werhan in the November general election.