Brandon Whipple (born July 13, 1982) is an American politician and academic who formerly served as mayor of Wichita, Kansas. He previously served as a Democratic Party member of the Kansas House of Representatives representing the 96th district, which included part of south Wichita and was the Ranking Minority member on the Higher Education Budget committee.
When the Kansas Legislature was not in session, Whipple served as an adjunct professor of American politics at Wichita State University, his alma mater. Whipple defeated incumbent Jeff Longwell in the 2019 Wichita mayoral election. He ran for a second term as mayor in the 2023 Wichita mayoral election, but lost to Lily Wu.
Early life and education
Whipple was raised in Dover, New Hampshire.Caudill, Daniel, "Kansas legislator Brandon Whipple hopes to prioritize education, public input as mayor", July 17, 2019, The Sunflower (student newspaper of Wichita State University), retrieved September 18, 2019Caudill, Daniel, "State Rep. Brandon Whipple set to challenge Mayor Jeff Longwell in November", August 12, 2019, The Sunflower (student newspaper of Wichita State University), retrieved September 18, 2019
Whipple earned his Associate of Arts in liberal studies from New Hampshire's Hesser College in 2003.Whipple, Brandon [apparently self-reported], "Brandon Whipple", ChronicleVitae.com, retrieved September 18, 2019 He moved to Wichita, Kansas, at age 21 in a year-long education-service mission with AmeriCorps, working with at-risk youth at Wichita South High School. While there, he discovered he could afford to attend Wichita State University (WSU). He graduated from WSU with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in psychology; later at WSU, he earned a master's degree in liberal studies, with an emphasis on cross-cultural studies and public administration. While at Wichita State, Whipple was a student senator in WSU's Student Government Association, an experience he credits as decisive in his later entry into the Kansas legislature (particularly a trip to the state capitol to lobby for student issues).
Whipple later acquired a Doctor of Arts in leadership studies from Franklin Pierce University, a private college in New Hampshire."Brandon Whipple - Candidate for Wichita Mayor", July 29, 2019, updated August 5, 2019, KSNW-TV News at KSN.com, retrieved September 18, 2019
Career As a member of Wichita's Southwest Neighborhood Association, Whipple served on its executive board."Mayor Whipple talks about donation following neighborhood cleanup fallout," Oct 20, 2022 (updated Oct 21, 2022), Kansas State Network, retrieved November 25, 2023"2014-2015 Board Members," Southwest Neighborhood Association, Wichita, Kansas, retrieved November 24, 2023
Whipple first ran for the Kansas House of Representatives in 2010 against Phil Hermanson.The Wichita Eagle (subscription required) Whipple lost, but shortly afterward the Sedgwick County Democratic Party elected him its vice chair. In 2012, he was elected the county party's chair.
Subsequently, while serving in the Kansas Legislature, Whipple also served as an adjunct instructor for various Wichita-area colleges and universities, including Wichita State University, Southwestern College and some commercial colleges—particularly teaching political science, history and sociology.
Kansas House of Representatives In 2012, in a run for the Kansas House 96th District seat (in south Wichita), he was criticized by Tea Party Republican Craig Gable for not having children.Brandon Whipple Attacked For Not Having Children, Huffington Post, John Celock, November 5, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2019. Whipple defeated Republican Rick Lindsey. Whipple was re-elected to the seat in 2014, 2016 and 2018, in a district that voted for Donald Trump for president in 2016.Hawver, Martin, "Whither the political wind?", Jun 20, 2018, Martin Hawver, Hawver News Company, in the Emporia Gazette, retrieved September 18, 2019
In 2016, Whipple was elected Agenda Chair for the Democrats in the Kansas House of Representatives—the #6 position in House Democratic party leadership."Democratic Leadership Election Results", December 5, 2016, Kansas Democratic Party, retrieved September 19, 2019 In 2018, he co-founded the bipartisan Kansas Future Caucus, a group of under-45 Kansas legislators, to focus attention on issues of concern to young people.Koranda, Stephen "Young Kansas Lawmakers Band Together To Form Millennial Caucus", February 9, 2018, KMUW-FM News on HPPR.org, retrieved September 18, 2019
Among his principal efforts in office was increased funding for education, particularly restoration of funding cuts made during the administration of Kansas governor Sam Brownback.Booker, Matt, "Democrats have a chance to flip mayor's office in Kansas' largest city after surprise finish", August 08, 2019, Daily Kos, retrieved September 18, 2019
In the 2019 Kansas Legislature, Whipple was Ranking minority member on the Joint Committee on Information Technology, and the Higher Education Budget Committee. He was also assigned to the Committee on Elections and the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight."Representative Brandon Whipple: District 96 - Democrat", 2019, Kansas House of Representatives, retrieved September 18, 2019"New chairs on House Education committees for 2019 session," December 21, 2018, Kansas Association of School Boards, retrieved September 19, 2019
Committee assignments
2019–2020 session Ranking Minority Member of Higher Education Budget Ranking Minority Member of Joint Information Technology Elections Joint Corrections and Juvenile Justice
2017–2018 session Ranking Minority Member of Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Financial Institutions and Pensions Higher Education Budget Joint Information Technology
2015–2016 session Utilities and Telecommications Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Taxation House Select Investigating Committee Telecommunications Study Committee Joint Information Technology
2013–2014 session Children and Seniors Judiciary Utilities and Telecommications Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Telecommunications Study Committee Joint Information Technology
Wichita Mayor 2019 Wichita mayoral race
Whipple ran in the 2019 election for mayor of Wichita.The Wichita Eagle (subscription required)Seminoff, Kirk, assoc. ed., "With filing deadline gone, see who's running for mayor and other seats," June 3, 2019, Wichita Business Journal In the nonpartisan primary election, preliminary results put Whipple (with 5,729 votes; 25.9% of the total) second only to Republican Mayor Longwell (who had 7,136 votes; 32.3%).McCoy, Daniel, "Longwell, Whipple top primary results for Wichita mayor ", Aug 7, 2019, Wichita Business Journal, retrieved September 18, 2019 "Open For Business For Everyone" , on the "Brandon Whipple: Mayor for Wichita" official website, retrieved September 18, 2019
Candidate Lyndy Wells, also a Republican, had only 160 votes fewer in initial returns: 5,569 votes; 25.2%, so delayed acceptance of the result in hopes that a review of 1,000 yet-uncounted ballots (including 500 provisional ballots) might turn the election to his favor.Lefler, Dion, "Late ballot counting dims Wells' hope of catching Whipple in Wichita mayor race", August 10, 2019, Wichita Eagle on MSN.com, retrieved September 18, 2019Faulx, Nadya, "Longwell, Whipple Head To November Election For Wichita Mayor", Aug 6, 2019, KMUW-FM News, retrieved September 18, 2019Lefler, Dion, "Final results: Longwell and Whipple to face off in mayor's race; vote audit clean", August 15, 2019, Wichita Eagle, retrieved September 18, 2019 The final count nearly doubled Whipple's lead over Wells, advancing Whipple and Longwell to the ballot for the November 5 runoff election. Wells mounted a write-in campaign.
In October 2019, Whipple found himself the victim of an elaborate, multi-state, covert smear campaign in which Republican state Representative Michael Capps was implicated as a perpetrator.Rep. Capps can't explain why his firm's listed as creator of anti-Whipple fake-ad site, Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler and Chance Swaim, November 1, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019. After Sedgwick County, Kansas Republican party chair Dalton Glasscock called for Capps to resign, Capps claimed that Glasscock had actually approved the production of the ad, which Glasscock denied.GOP lawmaker accuses county Republican chair of approving ad against mayoral candidate, Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler and Chance Swaim, November 3, 2019. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
Money raised for the production of the video was alleged to have been laundered through a charitable non-profit organization directed by Capps to conceal the identities of the alleged perpetrators.
Newly created anonymous entities also attacked both Whipple and Wells weighed via several mailers. Although the sending organizations used different names, they were all linked through a postal permit held by a Kansas City bulk-mail service. The funding of the salacious video as well as the anonymous mailers will not be required to be reported, according to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission. It has ruled outside organizations must report their identities and spending only if they use specific key terms such as "vote for," "elect," "vote against" or "defeat". The Democratic party was also criticized for publicly sending a mailer claiming that Longwell was being investigated by the District Attorney for "corruption". In fact, he had just been advised to report contributions and gifts received from the contractor to which a half-billion-dollar contract had been awarded.
On election day, November 5, 2019, Longwell conceded the election to Whipple, who won with 46% of the ballots versus 36% for Longwell, with the balance cast for write-in candidates which remained to be counted. The results were certified on November 15, 2019.Update 9:52 p.m.: In victory speech, Whipple vows to return government to the people, Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler and Chance Swaim, November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
In October 2020, Whipple, represented by former U.S. Attorney Randy Rathbun, filed suit against Capps, Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin, and Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, for defamation involving the false charges made against him in the 2019 mayoral election race. Allegations cited were that the co-conspirators tried to blame the conspiracy on Sedgwick Republican County Committee Chairman Dalton Glasscock, and that, with false accusations, they intended to generate marital discord within Whipple's own family.O’Donnell, Capps, Clendenin conspired to smear Whipple, blame GOP chair, lawsuit says, Wichita Eagle, Dion Lefler and Chance Swaim, October 14, 2020. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
To conceal the donors and funding of the smear, monies were said to have been laundered through a 501(c)3 non-profit charity directed by Capps. The suit had originally been filed against the maker of the video, Matthew Colburn.Video-maker dropped from Whipple’s defamation lawsuit after turning over evidence, Wichita Eagle, Chance Swaim, October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020. It was dropped after Colburn provided audio, text messages, and other evidence, that had identified O'Donnell as the alleged leader of the conspiracy to defame Whipple. O'Donnell was accused of writing the script for the video frame-up, Whipple said that he felt sorry for the then-21-year-old Colburn who had been scapegoated by the actual perpetrators.