Wichita ? Activist Oletha Foust-Goudeau won a special election to fill the vacant 84th District seat in the Kansas House, and afterward pledged to work to improve her Wichita neighborhood.

“Although I am the winner here today, my goal is that the citizens of the 84th District will be the winners in the future,” said Foust-Goudeau, selected Saturday in voting by Democratic precinct committee members.

She was a 10-6 winner over former Sedgwick County Commissioner Andy Bias.

Bias, who is president of Mennonite Housing, tried to convince voters he would be better able to get results in Topeka because of his background and negotiating skills.

Faust-Goudeau replaces Donald Betts Jr., who became Wichita’s newest state senator two weeks ago in another special election. Betts replaced Rip Gooch, who retired at age 80 from the 29th District Senate seat.