Jackson County voters’ approval of a decade-long renewal of the quarter-cent COMBAT sales tax was among the regional election results Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas discussed Wednesday. Lucas said he expects to remain involved in public life after his mayoral term ends in August 2027, and cast the election results as a sign that local voices are gaining ground ahead of 2028.
Lucas has said he needs to decide whether to pursue higher office in 2028, according to KCTV. The station reported that he expects to remain politically active after his mayoral tenure and considers his political journey unfinished.
Lucas told KSHB, “I look forward to working with all who want a better Missouri in 2028 and long after.” He also argued for more local authority over public safety, saying, “It is time for local control of decision-making, including policing and safety in all our cities.”
Jackson County Renews Its Anti-Violence Tax
Among the results Lucas pointed to was Jackson County voters' approval of a renewal of the quarter-cent COMBAT sales tax for another decade. Voters backed the renewal with 72% in favor, according to KCUR. The tax funds both law enforcement and violence-prevention programs, with roughly 60% of its revenue going toward police, prosecution, courts and corrections, and most of the remainder supporting nonprofit-run programs and substance-abuse treatment, per the same outlet.
The renewal comes amid a broader decline in violent crime across Jackson County. Kansas City had recorded 71 homicides as of July 15, 2026, down from 89 around the same point in 2025, KCUR reported. Nonfatal shootings had also fallen, from 217 at a similar point in 2025 to 183 as of July 12, 2026.
Kansas City Police Captain Jacob Becchina attributed much of that year-over-year drop to a nearly 50% reduction in shootings in June 2026 alone, telling KCUR, “on the strength of a nearly 50% reduction in June 2026, we are now down compared to last year.” Becchina also said Kansas City closed out 2025 with 139 homicides, the lowest total in seven years. A Jackson County prosecutor's office report cited by the station found that group-related homicides involving KCPD-identified violent group members as victims or suspects fell 40% between May 2024 and August 2025, while nonfatal shootings dropped 34% over that same stretch.
COMBAT’s History and Crime Trends
For a separate year-end comparison, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department reported that homicides fell 5% in 2025 compared with 2024, reaching the lowest level since 2018, while nonfatal shootings fell 31%.
A Mixed Night Across the Region
Lucas's remarks came as results rolled in across Kansas and Missouri. In Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated incumbent Republican Roger Marshall in the U.S. Senate race, pulling in 51% of the vote to Marshall's 46%, with Graham taking 3%, according to The Kansas City Star. The Kansas governor's race between Cindy Holscher and Ty Masterson remained too close to call as of 1 a.m. Wednesday, with Holscher holding a razor-thin 5,557-vote lead while late-arriving mail ballots had yet to be counted, the Star reported.
In Missouri, Emanuel Cleaver won reelection in the state's 5th congressional district with 69% of the vote, beating Republican Rick Brattin, who received 28%, per the Star's tally. Missouri voters also rejected Amendment 3, with No votes prevailing 55.5% to 44.5%, according to the Missouri secretary of state figures cited by the same report.
Lucas's comments Wednesday build on remarks he made earlier this year. In March, he announced he would not run for Congress in 2026, telling reporters, “I won't be on the ballot in 2026,” and saying he would remain mayor through the end of his final term in August 2027, the Star reported at the time. Before that announcement, Lucas had floated a potential campaign against U.S. Representative Mark Alford, and he did not rule out a future congressional bid after leaving office, according to the same report.
Lucas has also suggested he will wait to see how the political landscape shakes out before committing to a specific office. The Heartlander reported that he wants to see what happens in the November election, including which positions become available in 2028, before deciding what he wants to run for. In comments to that outlet, Lucas said, “I'll be around for something. I like controversy, so I'll be around for something fun in '28.”
