Banks, Miller, Duncan and Valdivia-Alcala win election to Topeka City Council

Two incumbents and two new members were elected by convincing margins Tuesday to seats on the Topeka City Council.

Final, unofficial results showed the winners were incumbents Christina Valdivia-Alcala and Spencer Duncan and council newcomers David Banks and Marcus D.L. Miller.

Topeka’s five other council seats and its mayor’s office will next come up for a vote in 2025.

What were the vote totals for the Topeka City Council?

Valdivia-Alcala received 837 votes compared to 384 for Craig McCullah to win the District 2 seat representing North Topeka and northeast Topeka's Oakland community, said the office of Shawnee County election commissioner Andrew Howell.

Valdivia Alcala received 68% of the vote compared to 31% for McCullah.

Miller defeated Craig Dunstan, 1,252 votes to 571, to win the District 6 seat in west-central Topeka. MIller received 68% of the vote.

In the day's closest race, Banks received 1,010 votes compared to 614 for Dave Brede to win southeast Topeka's District 4 seat. Banks received 62% of the vote.

In the day's most lopsided race, Duncan defeated Chris Phelps, 1,323 votes to 337, to win southwest Topeka's District 8 seat. Duncan received 78% of the vote.

Between one and 10 write-in ballots were cast in each of Tuesday's elections.

Here is the voter turnout for the Shawnee County races

Tuesday's election came on a day the National Weather Service said brought Topeka a high temperature of 79 degrees, tying the capital city's record high for Nov. 7, set in 2001.

Unofficial turnout for Tuesday's election was 17.89%, Howell said. But that will likely go up as more ballots are counted.

The Shawnee County Commission, meeting as the county's Board of Canvassers, will make decisions later this month on whether to count 164 ballots that were classified as "provisional" after their legality was called into question.

This year's unofficial turnout figure is less than the 18.3% unofficial turnout recorded prior to the voter canvass for Shawnee County's most recent municipal and school board general election in which the mayor's office wasn't on the ballot. That was in November 2019.

Capital-Journal records show final turnout was 12.86% in 2015, 11.76% in 2011 and 16.42% in 2007 for similar elections for municipal and school board members held during years in which Topeka's mayor's office wasn't on the ballot. All of those general elections took place in April.

Shawnee County voters were asked after they voted to fill out a form asking how they would rate their voting experience that day; if they had been aware of their other options of voting by mail or voting in advance at the election office; and what their level of confidence was in the way their ballot had been handled during the voting process and how it would be handled through the end of the election.

Tuesday's winners all raised more money than their opponents

Each of Tuesday's winners raised more money for their campaigns than their opponents did.

Each received contributions that included a $500 donation from Topeka developer and Advisors Excel co-owner Cody Foster.

Foster also contributed $500 to one other candidate, Zachary Surritt, who lost the Aug. 1 District 6 primary election to Miller.

Topeka City Council: District 2

Valdivia-Alcala, 61, was elected Tuesday to her second term in the seat she has held since January 2020 representing District 2.

A retired VA employee, Valdivia-Alcala is married to former Topeka City Councilman John Alcala, who now represents Topeka in the Kansas House.

Valdivia-Alcala said late Tuesday she felt grateful her district's voters had given her such a resounding victory and were enabling her to continue her efforts to move the district and the city forward.

She promised to continue doing what she's been doing, including fighting for transparency, voicing concern about the city's problems with crime and homelessness, and being vocal in advocating for her constituents.

Topeka City Council: District 4

Banks, 68, was elected to the District 4 seat held since May 2016 by Councilman Tony Emerson, who decided not to seek re-election.

Banks retired after more than 28 years with the Topeka Fire Department. He is also a small business owner, running a painting and landscaping service.

Banks looks forward to representing District 4 on the council, he said late Tuesday.

Banks said he lives in the heart of that district and is consequently very familiar with the concerns its constituents have.

He added, "I think my opponent's a good guy, and I think he'll be there to help me if I need it."

Topeka City Council: District 6

Miller, 39, was elected to the District 6 seat held since January 2020 by Councilwoman Hannah Naeger, who decided not to seek re-election.

Miller is executive director of First Tee — Greater Topeka and president of the Shawnee County Police Athletic League. He received the most votes among the four candidates for the District 6 seat who ran in the Aug. 6 primary election.

Miller will be the council’s youngest member. That distinction is currently held by Naeger, who is 33.

Miller said he wanted Dunstan and his followers to know that he wants to support them just as much as he wants to support the people who voted for Miller.

In terms of challenges the city faces, Miller said it needs to address crime and homelessness.

"But honestly, how we connect with each other is going to solve a lot of those problems," he said.

Topeka City Council: District 8

Duncan, 47, was elected to his second term in the seat he has held since January 2020 representing District 8, which is the area where he grew up.

Duncan is the president of Capital Connection LLC, a lobbying and governmental affairs firm.

He said he found it humbling that District 8 residents were willing to trust him to "listen to what they need and work on their behalf."

Duncan said he will continue with efforts he's been making to lower property taxes, improve street conditions and make housing-related improvements requested by his constituents.

"So this is an opportunity to see that through for the next four years," he said of his being re-elected.

Council will include a Black person for first time since 2007

When they are sworn in next January, Miller and Banks will become the first Black members on the nine-person council since Councilman John Nave's four-year term on that body ended in 2007. The city's population is 10.6% Black or African-American, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

Janel L. Johnson, who is Black, drew attention to the lack of Black people on the council last December as she and four other candidates were interviewed for Topeka's then-vacant District 9 seat.

An African-American voice needs to be "added to the table" at council meetings, said Johnson, who served from 2007 to 2020 on the Board of Education for Topeka USD 501.

The city's mayor and council at the meeting where Johnson was considered instead chose Michelle Hoferer, who is white, to fill the DIstrict 9 seat.

The Capital-Journal's Evert Nelson contributed to this report.

Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Here's who voters elected Tuesday to the Topeka City Council