Littlejohn files for re-election to Lawrence City Commission

photo by: Austin Hornbostel/Journal-World

Mayor Bart Littlejohn speaks with City Manager Craig Owens at a reception following the Lawrence City Commission's meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023. Littlejohn's peers on the City Commission voted to appoint Littlejohn as Lawrence's next mayor during the meeting.

Updated at 3:35 p.m., Monday, March 10, 2025.

Lawrence City Commissioner Bart Littlejohn will seek re-election.

Littlejohn, who completed a one-year term as Lawrence’s mayor in 2024, filed paperwork with county election officials to seek a second term on the Lawrence City Commission.

Littlejohn was first elected to the commission in 2021. During that time, he said he was proud of the city’s work on improving infrastructure using the asset management program, updating the Land Development Code and the work on the entrepreneurial/small business ecosystem.

“I think that we’ve done a lot of good things while I’ve been on the commission. But given the current landscape I want us to be resilient and flexible,” Littlejohn told the Journal-World via email. “It is my hope that I can earn the votes of this great town of Lawrence for another term.”

If elected again, Littlejohn said his big three focuses would be on building more housing of all types and for all income levels, continuing to emphasize infrastructure projects versus putting them off to a time when costs may be higher, and continuing economic development — especially encouraging more economic development to relieve the tax burden on residents.

Littlejohn is the sixth candidate to file for one of two at-large seats on the five-member commission. Other candidates who have filed are Alex Kerr, Bob Schumm, Eric Hyde, Ruby Mae Johnson and Steve Jacob.

Littlejohn is the first incumbent to announce plans to run again. The other incumbent with an expiring term, Commissioner Lisa Larsen, hasn’t yet announced whether she plans to file for re-election.

The deadline to file for a seat on the Lawrence City Commission is June. 2. If necessary, a primary will be held on Aug. 5. The general election will be on Nov. 4.