City council members Jolie Justus and Quinton Lucas advanced from the mayoral primary election in Kansas City, Missouri, on Tuesday. They each received about 25 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. They were among a field of 11 candidates seeking to succeed term-limited Mayor Sly James. The general election is June 18.

 

Justus and Lucas have both been on the city council since 2015. Justus also served as a Democratic state senator from 2007 to 2015 and works as the director of pro bono services for a law firm. Lucas is an attorney and teaches law at the University of Kansas.

 

Kansas City uses a council-manager system. In this form of municipal government, an elected city council—which includes the mayor and serves as the city’s primary legislative body—appoints a chief executive called a city manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations and implement the council’s policy and legislative initiatives.

 

The mayor’s primary responsibilities are to preside over city council meetings and official city ceremonies, and to represent the city on the state, national, and international levels.

 

Kansas City voters will also elect all 12 members of the city council on June 18.

 

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