Rep. Rory Rowland, a Democrat, formally launched his campaign for mayor of Independence this week.
The state representative, who had been considered a contender for some time, joins the field of people challenging Mayor Ellen Weir who is running for a third term. A primary will be held in February with the general election in April.
Rowland kicked off his campaign Monday at 3 Trails Brewery in Independence.
“It wasn’t until several members of our community asked me to do this that I took a long and hard look at where Independence should be as a community and as a municipality,” Rowland said in a statement. “Too many people see a cloud of corruption hanging over our city, and they are desperate for change.”
“I’m running for mayor because we need a change in leadership, and we need a new set of ethical standards at City Hall,” Rowland said.
Rowland has represented HD 29, which includes Jackson County, in the legislature since he won a special election in 2015. He owns a consulting business which has allowed him to speak to business groups across North America. Additionally, Rowland is the former president of two credit unions in the Kansas City area.
In the House, Rowland is the ranking minority member of the Financial Institutions Committee and is a member of the Veterans Committee as well as the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules.
Rowland is an alumnus of the University of Central Missouri and holds an MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
In interviews, Rowland is quick to bring up his admiration for former President Harry S. Truman. A mural of the former president loomed large behind Rowland for his announcement.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
