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 and teacher. He used to be the mayor of Wichita, Kansas. Before that, he was a member of the Democratic party in the Kansas House of Representatives. He represented the 96th district, which included part of south Wichita. When the Kansas Legislature was not meeting, Whipple taught American politics at Wichita State University. He won the election for mayor in 2019, beating the mayor at the time, Jeff Longwell. He ran for mayor again in 2023 but lost to Lily Wu.

Early Life and Education

Brandon Whipple grew up in Dover, New Hampshire. He earned a degree in liberal studies from Hesser College in 2003. When he was 21, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, for a year-long program with AmeriCorps. He worked with young people who needed help at Wichita South High School.

While in Wichita, he found out he could go to Wichita State University (WSU). He earned a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in psychology from WSU. Later, he got a master's degree from WSU, focusing on different cultures and public administration. While at WSU, he was a student senator. He says this experience, especially a trip to the state capitol to speak for students, helped him decide to get into politics. He later earned another degree in leadership studies from Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire.

Career in Public Service

Before becoming a state representative, Brandon Whipple was involved in his local community. He served on the executive board of the Southwest Neighborhood Association in Wichita.

Whipple first ran for the Kansas House of Representatives in 2010 but did not win. After that, he became the vice chair of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party. In 2012, he was elected as the chair of the county party. While serving in the Kansas Legislature, he also taught political science, history, and sociology at colleges in the Wichita area, including Wichita State University and Southwestern College.

Kansas House of Representatives

In 2012, Brandon Whipple ran for the Kansas House 96th District seat in south Wichita. He won against Rick Lindsey. He was re-elected to this seat three more times in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

In 2016, Whipple was chosen as the Agenda Chair for the Democrats in the Kansas House of Representatives. This was an important leadership role. In 2018, he helped start the Kansas Future Caucus. This group included Kansas lawmakers under 45 years old who wanted to focus on issues important to young people. One of his main goals in office was to get more money for education, especially to bring back funding that had been cut.

In the 2019 Kansas Legislature, Whipple was a top minority member on committees dealing with Information Technology and Higher Education Budget. He also served on the Elections Committee and the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight.

Committee Work

Brandon Whipple worked on several important committees during his time in the Kansas House:

• 2019–2020: Higher Education Budget, Joint Information Technology, Elections, Joint Corrections and Juvenile Justice.
• 2017–2018: Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Financial Institutions and Pensions, Higher Education Budget, Joint Information Technology.
• 2015–2016: Utilities and Telecommunications, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Taxation, House Select Investigating Committee, Telecommunications Study Committee, Joint Information Technology.
• 2013–2014: Children and Seniors, Judiciary, Utilities and Telecommunications, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Telecommunications Study Committee, Joint Information Technology.

Wichita Mayor

2019 Wichita Mayoral Election

Brandon Whipple ran for mayor of Wichita in 2019. In the first round of voting (the primary election), he came in second place, which meant he could move on to the final election. The final election was held on November 5, 2019.

During the campaign, Whipple faced some unfair attacks. There were false accusations made against him. Despite these challenges, Brandon Whipple won the election. He received 46% of the votes, while the current mayor, Jeff Longwell, received 36%. The results were officially confirmed on November 15, 2019.

Time as Mayor

Safety Concerns

In October 2020, a man was arrested for threatening Mayor Whipple. The man was upset about the city's rules for wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whipple said he would increase security at his home because of this incident. The man later pleaded "no contest" to a lesser charge and received probation.

New Ethics Rules

Mayor Whipple had promised to create new rules for the City Council to ensure fairness. In May 2021, the City Council approved a new Code of Ethics. These rules stopped Council members from voting on issues that would directly benefit them or their families. They also limited Council members from accepting gifts that could cause a conflict of interest.

City Development

Whipple and most of the City Council approved a plan to sell and develop city land near the Arkansas River. This land was to be used for apartments and hotels next to the city's new baseball stadium. Whipple said this development was needed to provide more housing and help cover the costs of the stadium. He also pushed for more transparency in these deals, meaning he wanted the public to know all the details beforehand, opposing "secret" agreements.

Transparency in Law Enforcement

In September 2021, a young person named Cedric Lofton died while being held at a county juvenile detention center. He had been taken there by Wichita police. When the local prosecutor decided not to file charges against anyone involved, Mayor Whipple made police bodycam footage public. This led to more questions and criticism about how the police handled the situation. Whipple felt the police should have taken the young person to a mental health facility instead of arresting him.

Incident with Police

On September 24, 2022, Mayor Whipple had a disagreement with a Wichita Police officer at a dump site. He had cut in line and did not follow the officer's instructions right away. Whipple later released the bodycam footage of the incident himself. He said the officer had yelled at him at the start, before the camera was on. Whipple used this situation to ask for a review of police body camera rules in Wichita and apologized for his part in the event.

In May 2023, the City of Wichita Ethics Board decided that Whipple had broken the city's code of ethics. They said he used his position to try and get special treatment for dumping his trash and that he called the City Manager during the incident to complain about the officer.

2023 Mayoral Election

Wichita's 2023 Wichita mayoral election was a very competitive race. Whipple faced several opponents in the primary election. The two candidates who received the most votes were Lily Wu and Brandon Whipple. They then moved on to the general election.

The campaign was very intense, with many debates and public appearances. There was also a lot of advertising from the candidates and their supporters. In the end, Brandon Whipple lost to Lily Wu. She received 58% of the votes, and he received 42%. Lily Wu became the new mayor in January 2024.

Personal Life

Brandon Whipple is married to Chelsea (Grady) Whipple. She also graduated from Wichita State University. They are members of the Episcopal Church. Chelsea helps manage programs for St. James Episcopal Church in Wichita and was the treasurer for his mayoral campaign. They have three boys.

Elections