Oletha Faust-Goudeau gets a consolation hug from supporter Mike Baggett.
The party at an office near 13th and Hydraulic appeared to have been rocking earlier, but by the time I arrived, it had quieted down.
Just as I walked in, Oletha Faust-Goudeau learned that she’ d lost her bid for the District 4 County Commission seat. She was hugging supporters and vowing to continue working for jobs and other causes she believes in in the Kansas Senate.
Sharing her party, which featured lots of fried chicken, dips and sweets, was Rep. Gail Finney, who convincingly won re-election in District 84. She quietly sipped champagne but was muted in her celebration. That’s just who she is, she said.
“If Oletha hadn’t been having this party, I’d be home in my basement sipping champagne,” she said.
Brandon and Chelsea Whipple, awaiting results at the Pumphouse.
This report on Democrat Brandon Whipple’s election party would have made a lot more sense had I posted it at 9 p.m. when I reported it. But alas, technology and my own poor sense of direction kept that from happening.
He lost his first-ever bid for office to his District 96 opponent, incumbent Phil Hermanson, but earlier in the evening, he said he was still hopeful. But anyone could see he was shaken.
Hanging at the Pumphouse in Old Town with a small crowd that included his wife, Chelsea, his mom, and a constituent he met while out campaigning door-to-door.
“If it went to whoever was the hardest working campaigner, we would have won,” he said.
Still at the Pompeo party, red, white and blue balloons fell from the ceiling and people were dancing. Susan Pompeo has a cold and looks just a bit tired, but her outfit of black sweater, slightly ruffled skirt with silver jewelry looks great with her black boots.
Gov.-elect Sam Brownback was on the big screen, the band is playing “Taking Care of Business” very loudly, my stomach is growling (one sack of popcorn and a cookie isn’t going to cut it).
Until the next round of victory parties I’m over and OUT.
Nick Pompeo couldn’t be more proud of his dad and even Democrats would have appreciated his comments when he introduced Mike Pompeo.
When Mike finally took the stage he looked rested, healthy and was wearing a perfectly tailored suit. There aren’t a lot of suits being worn here tonight, but there are more Gucci loafers than any other party I’ve been to tonight.
This is certainly the place to be if a big victory party is your cup of Republican tea.
I’ve got to get closer to see what Susan is wearing.
Oh, and the story Raj’s brother told on him? He apparently, as about a 7-year-old, wanted to quit using McDonald’s containers because they couldn’t be recycled. Six months later, or so it goes, McDonald’s had the same idea.
Raj is now saying, to wild shouts and applause, “The American dream is available to everyone in America.”
With the freedom to recycle, too.
He’s now thanking his family and staffers for tireless work.
“I’m telling ya, go get some sleep.”
Sounds good.
In case you’re wondering everything is fine in Valley Center. I was just there to check out Richard Ranzau’s party at Le Venue. Very French for V.C., don’t you think? The crowd was small, about 20 family and friends, but were happy because Richard is ahead. He wouldn’t say he was confident, but did say he was “hopeful.” Back to the Pompeo party.
Raj is taking the stage, and yes, he’s now in a suit.
I hear the Pompeo party is pretty rocking, but honestly, his supporters could not be any more enthusiastic as Raj’s.
Raj’s bro has asked everyone to flood the staging area and stay there. No returning to your seats, people! And, really, with “I like to move it, move it …” on, who could?
I’ve been in Raj headquarters for a while now but couldn’t share the excitement due to blog issues. So … a quick recap with more to come shortly.
1. If there are any babies left to kiss in this political season, they all seem to be here.
2. I get that campaign parties are different than, say, a party at Bonnie Bing’s, but still … no one looks good under lights like these.
3. Raj apparently has great — and varied — taste in music. There’s Pop & the Boys in one corner playing bluegrassy folk tunes, which is alternated with a great bluesy band (who? wish I knew). There seemed to be, and I’m not kidding, some canned rap in between. Folks, that’s diversity.
4. During a desperate dash to my car to hope the blog worked better from there, the candidate himself stopped me in the street. He was riding in the back of a nondescript four-door, sans suit and tie (at least I think that was the case — I was straddling the white line, so I had some other things on my mind) and advised he’ll be speaking soon. And here he is! Oh, wait, no. Sorry, that’s his brother. He’s about to tell a “Raj story!”
Jason Dilts, left, Lyndsay Stauble and Dan Manning await election results at a party at Rain.
Democratic Kansas House candidate Dan Manning’s campaign got pretty heavy when he received a death threat earlier this summer. Manning, who’s openly gay, found the threat clipped to his apartment door in August.
But his election night party, which by 8 p.m. had attracted about 40 friends and supporters to downtown bar Rain, was anything but heavy. Manning and Co. snacked on taquitos and veggies while watching election results on a computer screen.
Among the notable Wichitans present: City Council candidate Jason Dilts; Bert Pearce, the president of Wichita Pride; and Lyndsay Stauble, the director of the Sedgwick County Democratic Party.
Manning, who’s running against Republican incumbent Brenda Landwehr, hadn’t seen any results yet. But regardless of the outcome, he planned to party late into the night, grateful just to have had the chance to run.
“Aside from the long hours, it’s been a great experience,” he said, “a very humbling experience.”