KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas Democrats elected Jeanna Repass state chair Saturday, making her the first Black woman to lead the party.
The Overland Park Democrat is a political newcomer who earned the chair position with the support of party heavyweights Gov. Laura Kelly and U.S. Rep Sharice Davids despite questions raised about her credentials and alleged non-payment of campaign staff during her unsuccessful run for Kansas secretary of state.
Repass beat former Kansas Treasurer Lynn Rogers, who served as Kelly’s lieutenant governor during the first two years of her governorship. Repass won by a vote of 122-107 to become the first woman of color to lead either state party in Kansas.