Douglas County Democratic Party selects Karen Willey to replace outgoing county commissioner

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Karen Willey speaks to precinct committee people from Douglas County's 3rd Commission District Sunday afternoon. A few minutes later, the group voted to select Willey as their pick to see out the remainder of outgoing Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Portillo's term on the Douglas County Commission.

There will soon be a new member serving on the Douglas County Commission.

Outgoing Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Portillo is leaving her seat Sept. 10, and she’ll be replaced by Karen Willey. Around 30 precinct committee people who live in the 3rd County Commission District voted Willey, a nonprofit consultant who has served on the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission, into the seat during a convention Sunday afternoon.

“This is where my heart is, this is where my skill set is, this is where I feel like I can be of value to the community,” Willey said during her remarks Sunday.

The process isn’t quite done yet, according to Douglas County Democratic Party Chair Patricia Willer. After the vote, Willer said the county Democratic Party will next send their nomination along to Gov. Laura Kelly, who will give final confirmation appointing Willey to fill the seat. Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew told the Journal-World he would then work with Willey to get her sworn in prior to Portillo’s last day on the commission. Barring any changes, Willey’s first action on the commission will be during its Wednesday, Sept. 14, meeting in about two weeks’ time.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Democratic precinct committee people representing Douglas County’s 3rd Commission District filled a section of seats at Theatre Lawrence Sunday afternoon during a convention to select the person who will complete outgoing Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Portillo’s term.

Willey has lived in Douglas County for nearly 30 years and in multiple areas of the county, but currently resides on a farm in the rural unincorporated area south of Lawrence. She also ran for this seat the last time it was up for election in 2020, losing to Portillo in the Democratic primary.

During her remarks Sunday, Willey spoke briefly about her varied career; besides her current line of work, she previously was a small business owner and said her experience there could be helpful when approaching tasks like setting the 2023 budget, a process the commission recently completed.

Willey noted that, in particular, her work on the planning commission has helped prepare her for serving on the county commission. She pointed to developing the comprehensive plan for the City of Lawrence and Douglas County, Plan 2040, and later helping to draft utility-scale solar regulations as good experiences while in that role.

In the future, Willey said she thinks county leaders will have an important role to play in conversations about housing, especially with the planned $4 billion Panasonic battery plant slated to be built in De Soto, around 5 miles from the Douglas County line. She said the same of potential conversations about the county prioritizing green energy.

Willey was one of two candidates formally nominated for the seat Sunday. The other was Cole Browne, a Democratic precinct committeeman. A third individual, Lawrence Sustainability Advisory Board chair Ma’Ko’Quah Jones, was interested until a day or two ago, but Willer said Jones backed out after realizing she didn’t live within the 3rd District’s boundaries.

Willey’s path to the seat was triggered because of the amount of time left in Portillo’s term when she announced she’d be leaving Douglas County for a job at Arizona State University. As the Journal-World previously reported, there would have been a special election if Portillo had resigned in the first half of her term.

Portillo also spoke briefly at the convention Sunday. She said she was honored and humbled to have been able to represent her neighbors and community despite the challenges she faced during the first half of her term. Portillo said she was the target of racist messages during her campaign for the seat in 2020, and soon after being elected had to help the county navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

That wasn’t always an easy task, she said, as some members of the public were outspoken in their disagreement with the county’s public health policies.

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Outgoing Douglas County Commissioner Shannon Portillo speaks during the convention to select her replacement Sunday, Aug. 28, 2022. Portillo’s last day on the commission will be Sept. 10, as she is set to leave Douglas County for a job at Arizona State University.

“But I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything,” Portillo said. “This summer, I said more than once that if I could move Arizona State to Lawrence, I would.”

The Douglas County Commission’s 3rd District covers parts of southern and western Lawrence and western Douglas County.

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