Kansas
Embracing election conspiracies could sink a Kansas sheriff who once looked invulnerable
DE SOTO, Kan. (AP) — The sheriff in Kansas’ most populous county faced no opposition to his reelection four years ago, extending a decades-long Republican lock on the office despite big gains locally by Democrats during the Trump era. Then he took on election fraud as a cause.
The GOP in Johnson County in the Kansas City area is deeply divided over Sheriff Calvin Hayden’s investigation for at least two years into what he has called scores of tips about potential election irregularities, with no criminal charges filed so far.
Hayden is in a contentious race ahead of Tuesday’s primary election and Democrats are bullish about their chances of winning their first sheriff’s race since 1930 in the general election in November.
Hayden’s opponents, including the former top deputy challenging him in the GOP primary, contend he has made the sheriff’s office unnecessarily political and hindered its crime-fighting.
His public doubts about the integrity of local and state elections track with the rise of like-minded leaders in GOP organizations in Kansas and other states and former President Donald Trump’s false narrative that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
But local Republican leaders who looked into allegations of election fraud in 2020 say evidence of wrongdoing was scant.
Marisel Walston, the previous chair of the county GOP and co-founder a statewide group for Hispanic Republicans, said she and other local party officers investigated allegations of election fraud after the 2020 election. While they discovered some mistakes and administrative missteps, they did not find any fraud, she said.
Hayden remains undeterred. Asked in a candidate forum whether he trusted the 2020 election results, he noted the official tally from his uncontested race was more than 260,000 votes but added, “I don’t know that that’s accurate.”
As in other suburban areas across the U.S., a pro-Trump pedigree is likely to be a political liability in November in Johnson County, a former GOP stronghold where Democratic voter registrations have grown nine times faster than Republican ones since 2016. But the GOP primary electorate in Kansas is far redder and more pro-Trump.
“We’ve had, obviously, a lot of moderates move to being independent or just stop voting in primaries,” said former state Rep. Stephanie Sharp, a moderate Republican. “I don’t think that there’s enough moderates who vote in primaries anymore to get moderates out in primaries.”
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Voters are set to pick the major party nominees for Kansas’ four congressional seats, all 40 state Senate and 125 state House seats and offices in the state’s 105 counties.
Hayden is a former Army reservist who joined the sheriff’s department in 1981 and rose through the ranks until he won a seat on the county commission in 2008, serving one four-year term. He won a three-way Republican primary for sheriff in 2016, with no Democrat on the ballot.
He argues that installing a new sheriff is risky.
“We’ve kept Johnson County safe,” he said during a July candidate forum. “I’ll stand on my record.”
Hayden confirmed his voter fraud investigation in 2022, saying he had been receiving tips about problems since the previous fall. Then, in the summer of 2022, he participated in a conference for a group promoting a dubious theory that sheriffs have virtually unchecked power in their counties, though he says he is not a member.
Last month, Hayden said he suspended the investigation, blaming the county’s destruction in February of ballots from 2019, 2020 and 2021, which is at least 17 months late but in line with state law.
Hayden’s office referred questions over his work as sheriff to his campaign, which did not respond to a request for an interview.
In his primary race, Hayden faces Doug Bedford, a former U.S. Navy Seal and longtime sheriff’s officer who served as Hayden’s undersheriff from 2017 to 2021 before retiring and becoming a state liquor control officer.
Bedford suggested the sheriff has broken with a tradition of his office’s 700 employees being “silent professionals” who avoid public attention.
“Now it almost seems like that is the goal is to be in the news,” he said during an interview at the Veterans of Foreign War hall in his hometown of De Soto on the western edge of the Kansas City area.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Bryan Roberson, the police chief in the suburb of Prairie Village, whose office decor includes a cartoon portrait by “The Simpons” creator Matt Groening. The former Marine reservist would be Johnson County’s first Black sheriff if he won.
Roberson said he believes Hayden’s voter fraud investigation reflected badly on local law enforcement.
“I’m all for investigating crimes,” he said. “But if there is no information to prove a crime, you can’t keep it open.”
For at least two decades, Johnson County’s rate for violent crimes — murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — has remained well below the state’s, according to data in annual Kansas Bureau of Investigation reports. The murder rate has ticked up since Hayden took office from 1 to 2.2 per 100,000 residents, but all of the county’s 14 reported murders in 2023 were in areas outside his jurisdiction.
The county population’s has grown 75% over the past 30 years to more than 620,000. It’s also more diverse: previously 94% white and non-Hispanic, now 77%.
The GOP gap in voter registration once was nearly 26 percentage points and is now 8.5 points. In an August 2022 statewide referendum, 69% voted to affirm abortion rights.
“You look at what used to be this mighty, dominant Republican base in Johnson County, and it’s just hemorrhaging voters that either unaffiliate or flip Democrat or they just start voting for Democrats,” said Cole Robinson, executive director of the county Democratic Party.
While Trump is expected to carry Kansas comfortably again this year, he’s likely to lose Johnson County after losing it by about 8 percentage points in 2020. He was the first GOP presidential candidate to fail there since 1916.
Hayden has said he took it for granted that local elections ran smoothly until Trump’s showing in 2020. He said in the recent candidate forum that his office is still receiving tips and complaints about election problems “every day.”
Hayden’s supporters see the criticism of his efforts on election fraud as an unwarranted campaign to discredit him.
“I believe election integrity is the absolute root cause of all of the maladies in our country right now,” said Kay Shirley, a GOP volunteer in Johnson County backing Hayden. ”It got my attention when I saw that he was willing to stick his head out and his neck out, and he just listened and he paid attention.”
But even some longtime conservative Republican activists have broken with Hayden after backing him previously.
Watson, the former county GOP chair, said she believes Hayden’s actions and public comments have eroded confidence in local elections and discouraged people from voting.
“I was very disappointed in him,” she said. “I was totally surprised that he was lending himself to that sort of thing.”
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) — It’s been a week since the World Cup began in Kansas City, but some local businesses aren’t feeling the expected influx in traffic and are asking for support.
On Thursday, KC2026 provided numbers for the FIFA Fan Festival and the ConnectKC26 transportation system.
From June 11 to June 16, KC2026 said more than 63,000 people attended the FIFA Fan Festival.
There are mixed results for where everyone is from:
- 52% from Kansas or Missouri
- 33% from the United States
- 15% from out of the country
As of 2 p.m. on June 17, ConnectKC26 has a total of 86,540 registered passes.
Breakdown of routes from KC2026:
- Stadium Direct: 57,302
- Regional Direct: 17,284
- Airport Direct: 11,954
As for business traffic, it depends on where you look. Some businesses in the Country Club Plaza said they’ve seen an uptick, especially on the first match day.
“We just had a really fun time with all of the fans, and I think we did a good job preparing for it,” said KC Style Haus Owner, Deserae Minor.
But many businesses are sharing their disappointment online.
‘Ghost town’
Caitlin Benedict, who owns Bisou, a European-style coffee and pastry shop, took to Instagram after shopping at a Crossroads night market.
“We are all in this together, it sucks. It was dead. It’s been dead everywhere,” said Bisou Owner, Caitlin Benedict.
After sharing her disappointment online, she saw an uptick in business on Thursday.
“It’s nice when the community can help out, and you can back up your own hometown at the same time,” said Janet Garciga, who drove in from Lee’s Summit to visit Bisou.
“I don’t want them to just come to Bisou, and I don’t want it to just be for a day. I want them to go everywhere else, and I want them to support everyone else, and consistently, especially for the next month and a half while FIFA is here,” said Benedict.
She heard from businesses experiencing the same issues in Mission, other spots downtown, Kansas City, Kansas, and Overland Park.
Down the road in the Crossroads, Buffalo State Pizza saw fans for the French match on Tuesday.
“But after that, I mean, we even close early on Tuesday because that was, it was dead,” said Buffalo State Pizza Owner, Phillippe Lechevin.
Shopping bags and matchas aren’t filling up at Dear Society either.
“The 10 years that I’ve been here in Kansas City. I have seen a lot of these big events coming into town, and we’ve been told to prepare and get ready for these huge crowds. And to be honest, after the NFL draft and after so many things that I’ve seen in 10 years, I didn’t do anything different,” said Dear Society Owner, Chanel Jezek. “I kind of knew. I had a feeling like we weren’t going to be as busy as they were projecting because they’ve done this to us before.”
Multiple factors = slow traffic
All three, Bisou, Buffalo State Pizza, and Dear Society, said there isn’t really someone to blame, but rather multiple factors that could be part of the issues.
A lot of eateries in town added a 20% automatic gratuity to bills, Bisou and Buffalo State Pizza decided not to take part, but worry that it is keeping locals away.
Visit KC projected 650,000 visitors throughout the entire tournament, and these businesses wonder if the possibility of large crowds and no parking is also keeping residents at home.
“I think we lost a lot of the regular ones. You know, the number was shown earlier back in February, you know, the 600,000 people. People who have the option to work from home, but maybe they didn’t want to deal with the traffic, since there’s no traffic. So hopefully they’re going to come back,” said Lechevin. “People may realize, actually, you know, it’s not as crazy as it is. I can still park in my regular spot and have lunch at my regular spot without being, you know, charged an extra amount.”
Jezek said she’d love to see KC2026 and FIFA add more locally owned businesses on their website so fans know where to find them.
“We are not seeing an increase in traffic on the streets. We are not crowded like they were predicting. You can still come in. You can still support your local businesses, your favorite coffee shops, your favorite places to grab your gifts, or whatever. We’re here. We’re slow. And there are more places to park,” said Jezek.
Benedict said it is an honor to have the World Cup here, but wants to see more honesty and support from leaders.
“I feel like it’s good for our city. It’s recognition. But at the same time, I want leadership to step in and say, okay, we didn’t get as many travelers as we should have,” said Benedict.
These businesses are hopeful that fans, locals, and other owners all come out and support these small shops throughout the metro during the World Cup and beyond.
“I would say just keep coming and supporting us and showing up,” said Jezek.
KCTV5 reached out to Visit KC, but did not have any numbers it could share at this time.
Mayor Quinton Lucas’ office shared the statement below after this story aired on Thursday:
“While the economic impact of a global event of this magnitude will naturally vary by business and by neighborhood, Mayor Lucas is encouraged by what he is hearing from Kansas City’s entertainment and hospitality sectors. Hotels, bars, and restaurants reported strong activity as Kansas City welcomed tens of thousands of guests for the opening match. As we look toward this weekend’s games and the remainder of the tournament, we’ll continue to highlight opportunities for our visitors and residents alike to join in the fun and celebration of this one in a generation moment.”
Businesses are hopeful that the longer the World Cup goes on, the more people will show up. KCTV5 plans to check in with these businesses throughout the tournament to see if traffic picks up.
Copyright 2026 KCTV. All rights reserved.
Cooler temperatures today, but we will keep a chance of thunderstorms going in south-central Kansas this morning. One or two could be strong.
Temperatures stay cooler in southern Kansas thanks to clouds and rain in the area. Warmer temps and sunshine to the north.
Another chance of severe weather will visit Kansas this weekend, with a complex of strong storms rolling across the area Saturday night.
KSN Storm Track 3 Forecast from Meteorologist Jack Maney:
Wichita:
Today: Mostly cloudy. 60% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 80 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers. Lo: 62 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 68 Wind: SE 5-15
Wichita Weekly
Sat: Hi: 87 Lo: 73 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 92 Lo: 67 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 65 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 68 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 69 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
SOUTHWEST: Dodge City, Garden City, Liberal, Greensburg, Guymon
Southwest:
Today: Partly to mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 84 Wind: NE/E 10-25
Tonight: Mostly to partly cloudy. Lo: 58 Wind: E/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 85 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 62 Wind: SE 5-15
Southwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 92 Lo: 66 Mostly cloudy. 40% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 91 Lo: 59 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 83 Lo: 60 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 61 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 89 Lo: 62 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHWEST: Colby, Goodland, Hill City, Oberlin, McCook
Northwest:
Today: Partly cloudy to mostly sunny. Hi: 86 Wind: NE/E 5-15
Tonight: Mostly clear to partly cloudy. Lo: 61 Wind: E/S 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: S/SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 61 Wind: SE 5-15
Northwest Weekly
Sat: Hi: 90 Lo: 61 Partly to mostly cloudy. 50% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 84 Lo: 55 Mostly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 78 Lo: 56 Mostly to partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 82 Lo: 58 Partly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 85 Lo: 59 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 87 Lo: 60 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
NORTHCENTRAL: Salina, Great Bend, Hays, Russell, Beloit, Osborne
North Central:
Today: Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 83 Wind: NE 8-18
Tonight: Partly cloudy. Lo: 60 Wind: NE/SE 5-15
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms. Hi: 86 Wind: SE 8-18
Tomorrow Night: Partly to mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms. Lo: 66 Wind: SE 5-15
North Central Weekly
Sat: Hi: 88 Lo: 70 Partly to mostly cloudy. 70% chance of showers and storms.
Sun: Hi: 88 Lo: 63 Mostly cloudy. 30% chance of showers and storms.
Mon: Hi: 81 Lo: 62 Mostly to partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
Tue: Hi: 84 Lo: 64 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Wed: Hi: 86 Lo: 66 Partly cloudy. 20% chance of showers and storms.
Thu: Hi: 88 Lo: 67 Partly cloudy. 10% chance of showers and storms.
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A Kansas fire department is asking people to be more careful about what they throw away.
The Mulvane Fire Department was called to a vehicle fire Wednesday afternoon. The driver of a trash truck had smelled something burning and pulled over to call 911.
When firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming from the back of the truck. In the trash bay, a firefighter discovered a discarded laptop computer with a lithium battery that was heating up.
The department said it was able to remove the battery from the truck and flood the truck with water to cool off the trash. This is the second incident involving a lithium battery crews have responded to this month, according to Mulvane Fire.
Lithium is highly reactive, and when batteries are damaged, they can heat up uncontrollably. The reaction cascades, with the battery getting hotter and hotter until all of the lithium is consumed. In some cases, when exposed to oxygen, lithium can ignite instantly.
The fire department is urging residents to never throw computers or anything with batteries in the trash. Sedgwick County offers this free recycling guide with information on how to properly dispose of a wide variety of household goods and chemicals.
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