Brandon Whipple facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brandon Whipple
102nd Mayor of Wichita
In office January 13, 2020 – January 8, 2024
Preceded by	Jeff Longwell
Succeeded by	Lily Wu
Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 96th district
In office January 14, 2013 – January 13, 2020
Preceded by	Phil Hermanson
Succeeded by	Stephanie Yeager
Personal details
Born	Brandon James Whipple (1982-07-13) July 13, 1982 (age 43) Rochester, New Hampshire, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Mount Washington College Wichita State University (BA, MA) Franklin Pierce University (DArts) University of the People (MBA)

Brandon Whipple (born July 13, 1982) is an American politician who served as the mayor of Wichita, Kansas, from 2020 to 2024. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives. This is a part of the state government that makes laws for Kansas.

Besides his work in politics, Whipple has also taught American politics as a professor at Wichita State University. He won the election for mayor in 2019 against the mayor at the time, Jeff Longwell. He ran for mayor again in 2023 but lost to Lily Wu.

Early Life and Schooling

Brandon Whipple grew up in Dover, New Hampshire. When he was 21, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to work with AmeriCorps, a program where people help communities. He worked with young people at Wichita South High School.

He liked Wichita and decided to stay for college. He went to Wichita State University (WSU), where he studied sociology and psychology. Later, he earned a master's degree from WSU. While he was a student, he was part of the student government. This experience, especially visiting the state capitol to talk about student issues, made him interested in becoming a politician.

Whipple continued his education and earned a Doctor of Arts degree from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

Political Career

Before running for office, Whipple was active in his community as a member of Wichita's Southwest Neighborhood Association.

He first ran for the Kansas House of Representatives in 2010 but did not win. He tried again in 2012 and won the election for the 96th district in south Wichita. He was re-elected three more times in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

In the Kansas House of Representatives

As a state representative, one of Whipple's main goals was to improve funding for schools. He also helped start the Kansas Future Caucus in 2018. This was a group of younger lawmakers from different political parties who worked together on issues important to young people.

During his time in the legislature, he served on several committees. Committees are small groups of lawmakers who focus on specific topics like education, technology, or the economy.

Mayor of Wichita

In 2019, Whipple decided to run for mayor of Wichita.

The 2019 Election

The race for mayor was between Whipple and the current mayor, Jeff Longwell. The campaign became difficult when a negative video about Whipple was released. The video contained false information meant to hurt his chances of winning.

Despite the negative campaign, Whipple won the election on November 5, 2019. He received 46% of the vote, while Longwell received 36%. He later filed a lawsuit against the people he believed were responsible for the false video.

Time as Mayor

Whipple became mayor just as the COVID-19 pandemic began, which created many challenges for the city.

COVID-19 Response

To help stop the spread of the virus, Whipple and the City Council passed a rule that required people to wear face masks in public places in Wichita. This was a difficult decision because many people in the community disagreed with it. Some people were upset about the mask rule, and this led to threats against the mayor. One person was arrested for threatening Whipple, which led to increased security for him and his family.

New Rules for City Leaders

Whipple helped create a new Code of Ethics for the City Council. These rules were made to ensure that council members acted fairly. For example, the code said that council members could not vote on projects if they or their close family members would benefit from them. It also limited the kinds of gifts that council members could accept.

Disagreements and Challenges

During his time as mayor, Whipple faced several difficult situations.

• Police and Community Issues: In 2021, a young person named Cedric Lofton died while in the custody of law enforcement. When the district attorney decided not to press charges, Whipple released police bodycam video of the event to the public. He felt it was important for people to see what happened. He also spoke out when it was discovered that a few police officers had been sharing inappropriate text messages.

• Confrontation with an Officer: In 2022, Whipple had a verbal argument with a police officer at a city dump site. The officer's body camera recorded part of the argument. Whipple released the video himself and called for a review of the police department's body camera rules. He later apologized for his part in the argument. The city's Ethics Board later said that he had violated the ethics code during this event.

The 2023 Election

Whipple ran for a second term as mayor in 2023. His main opponent was Lily Wu, a former TV news reporter. The campaign was very competitive, with a lot of advertising from both sides. Wu received more campaign donations than Whipple, including support from local business groups and the police union.

On election day, Lily Wu won with 58% of the vote, and Whipple received 42%. Wu became the new mayor of Wichita on January 8, 2024.

Personal Life

Whipple is married to Chelsea Whipple. They both graduated from Wichita State University. They have three sons.

Elections