Former commissioner Constance likely to run for city seat

It looks like the Lawrence City Commission field will have another familiar face, and another leader of the campaign to save the city’s public transit system. Dennis Constance, who served on the City Commission in the 1980s, is strongly considering a run for the City Commission. In an e-mail, Constance said his current plans are to run for a spot on the five-member board. Constance also would become the second Kansas University employee to enter the field. He is a supervisor in the maintenance and custodial department at KU. Constance became re-engaged in Lawrence politics last year as a leader of the Campaign to Save the T, which successfully urged citizens to vote for a pair of sales tax increases to fund the city’s public transit system. If Constance does file before the Jan. 27 deadline, that would bring the field of candidates to six. Still looming as a possibility is current City Commissioner Mike Amyx. Amyx has not announced whether he plans to seek re-election. Commissioner Sue Hack already has ruled out running again. Commissioner Boog Highberger has said he likely will not seek re-election. It will take either 10 or 11 candidates to force a March primary (local and state election officials are still trying to interpret a new state law that changed the primary process.) A primary election would be March 3. The general election will April 7.