John Landon, left, and Pam McDermott, right

In the largest Douglas County Commission district by geographic area, two Republicans will face each other in the August primary for a chance to run against the Democratic commission chair this fall.

The two Republicans in the Commission District 3 primary are John Landon and Pam McDermott; Landon has lived in rural Douglas County for over 30 years, and McDermott ran for the County Commission in 2020. The winner will face Commission Chair Karen Willey, the only Democrat to file for the seat, in the November general election.

District 3 includes the western portion of Lawrence, the city of Lecompton and the entirety of five townships: Willow Springs, Marion, Clinton, Kanwaka and Lecompton.

John Landon

Landon is a third-generation Douglas County resident who has had a passion for agriculture from an early age. He is the director of the Shawnee County Weed Department, where he spends his workdays helping farmers and residents take care of their land by educating them on noxious weeds and how to control them. Prior to his work at the Weed Department, he was assistant operations manager for Douglas County Public Works.

Landon said the unique quality he would bring to the county commission is his familiarity with how local government operates. In particular, he said rural representation is important, and that he believes rural voices aren’t being heard by the current county commissioners. Two of the three current members of the commission live in Lawrence.

“I have always understood how agriculture and farming have impacted the lives of the whole community far beyond just providing food to feed our families,” Landon told the Journal-World.

In a response to a Journal-World questionnaire, Landon said an issue Douglas County needs to focus on is balancing the budget at a time when many residents are struggling financially.

“The cost of everything has increased drastically except for wages and Social Security benefits for our retirees,” Landon said. “This has made it difficult for families to keep their farms and houses they were brought up in. We need to explore every option when creating a budget that maintains the same level of service, funds and infrastructure all while eliminating spending like remodeling the commission chambers.”

Pam McDermott

McDermott has always been active in the community, whether it’s volunteering, working as a substitute teacher at the now-closed Kennedy Elementary School, participating in Leadership Lawrence, leading various projects and working full-time at Morning Star Church since it opened in 1992.

“I have spent 30 years helping to build a community where individuals from every kind of background come together for something bigger than themselves,” McDermott told the Journal-World.

In terms of renewable energy initiatives, she said she is not in favor of utility-scale solar projects or industrial wind development in Douglas County. The panels do not belong on prime farmland simply because large companies want them there, McDermott said.

In a response to a Journal-World questionnaire, McDermott said an issue Douglas County needs to focus on is decreasing the tax burden on county residents. McDermott said she wants to build a citizen-driven local government by listening to the people of Douglas County.

“The county has $195 million in cash on hand,” McDermott said. “As a taxpayer, I find that outrageous and unacceptable. We must address the budget and the property taxes and find ways to be more responsible with our resources.”