Melesa Johnson, a 35-year-old Democrat, won her race against Republican Tracey Chappell, also a Black woman, to become the first-ever Black woman prosecutor in Jackson County, Kansas City, MO.
According to KCUR, the race between the two women focused heavily on crime in the mostly Democratic county, and Johnson won her race easily as she focused on aggressive prosecution and crime prevention.
Johnson replaces Jean Peters Baker, the incumbent who has held the office since 2011, Baker declined to seek another term. Johnson came up in Baker’s office as a young attorney.
Johnson will leave her post as Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas’ director of public safety to take the position for which she was elected.
At her watch party on Nov. 5, Johnson said that she hoped her win would provide hope for little Black girls. Johnson won the election 57% to Chappell’s 43%.
“Today we showed that a little Black girl from the east side of Kansas City can become one of the top-ranking law enforcement officials in the entire county — that means something,” Johnson said. “That’s going to trickle over to people wanting to become police officers, prosecutors, sheriffs, probation officers, people where I come from. And that’s a good thing for the system in its entirety.”
Johnson continued, “If you have never felt yourself seen in a justice system intended to serve you, I am honored to be your beacon of hope, and it is a responsibility that I do not take lightly.”
The race focused on crime due to a rash of property crime perpetuated by armed teens, mostly breaking into cars and businesses in affluent majority-white neighborhoods.
Notably, public sentiment around the violent crimes in Kansas City reached a fever pitch when two teenagers, age 15 and 17, fatally shot a popular Irish chef, Shaun Brady, near his restaurant.
The two teenagers have been charged with second degree murder and could potentially be tried as adults.
Johnson’s response to the crime was to emphasize prosecution of crimes like these as well as Kansas City’s anti-violence initiative, SAVE KC.
“We will fight and reduce violence and improve safety without losing sight of our humanity,” Johnson said.
Johnson continued, “We will work to strengthen support for survivors and empower our communities by attacking the root causes of crime, while we simultaneously demand strict accountability. And we want to take meaningful steps towards ending the cycles of incarceration that tear families apart, while also ensuring that children can safely live in their neighborhoods.”
SAVE KC is focused on street-level intelligence which collects information about who is most likely to commit crime.
Chappell, meanwhile, using a tough-on-crime approach, argued that social justice initatives should only come after prosecution of violent crime.
Beyond the issue of crime, another issue that became a central figure in the race was abortion, Missouri, like other conservative run states, issued a total ban on abortion in 2022 after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the Supreme Court.
“From the top of the ticket down, women’s reproductive freedoms, women’s reproductive rights has been a pivotal issue in this entire election cycle,” Johnson said.
According to The Kansas City Star, Johnson also promised her supporters that she would lead with integrity, emphasizing during the campaign that the deep-seated problems in Jackson County would not be solved by incarceration.
Instead, Johnson proposed an expansion of certain areas of prosecution like non-violent drug distribution cases while also looking to establish a new property crimes division and revitalize the conviction integrity unit, which examines past potential wrongful convictions.
Johnson acknowledged that she has a tough road ahead, but believes that collaboration will help the county meet its challenges.
“We have a tall task ahead, but through true collaboration and partnership, we can and will rise to the occasion,” Johnson said.
Johnson continued, “The challenges have been great, but your grit has been greater, and I am so grateful for your service, and know that I have some life big shoes to fill.”
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