By Mack Callahan
Well folks, grab your popcorn—or better yet, head down to the Common Consumption Area for a front-row seat. The Topeka mayor’s race just went from sleepy to scorched earth, and we’re still weeks away from the primary.
On one side, we’ve got Spencer Duncan, City Council member, yard sign king, and self-styled policy wonk. On the other, Henry McClure—the city’s most vocal outsider, running a campaign fueled by caffeine, Facebook rants, and enough grievance politics to make a cable news host blush.
The latest dust-up? Duncan posted a not-so-subtle jab suggesting one of his opponents (spoiler: it’s McClure) used AI to fill out a candidate questionnaire—without bothering to switch from third person to first. Classic rookie mistake… if true. McClure fired back with a string of posts ranging from sarcastic digs about Topeka’s downtown drinking district to complaints about being treated rudely at Hotel Topeka—complete with a $7.6 million offer he says Duncan ignored.
And speaking of Hotel Topeka—McClure seems determined to make it ground zero for this campaign. He’s turned what most people see as a struggling piece of city-owned real estate into a political battlefield. There’s consultants, backroom deals (allegedly), and enough bitterness to flavor a gallon of iced tea.
But underneath the snark and Facebook memes, there’s a real undercurrent here: Duncan’s playing the part of the calm, measured front-runner. McClure’s going full populist, MAGA-adjacent, anti-establishment firebrand.
Will the average Topeka voter care about AI-written questionnaires, hotel purchase offers, or who was rude to whom at a city meeting? That’s anyone’s guess.
But one thing’s for sure: If this keeps up, the August primary might be the most entertaining show in town.
Stay tuned, Topeka.
—Mack
