Incumbent Steve Howe faces Vanessa Riebli in race for Johnson County DA
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Voters in Johnson County, Kansas, will decide the race for the county's top law enforcement official.
Republican Steve Howe is seeking a fifth term as Johnson County District Attorney. Democrat Vanessa Riebli , a former assistant prosecutor is seeking to unseat Howe, one of her former bosses.
Republican Candidate Steve Howe
Howe graduated from Washburn University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1985 where shortly after he entered Washburn Law School with the goal of becoming a prosecutor.
Howe defeated David Greenwald in the August Republican primary race . Howe received 27,290 total votes with 64% of the vote and Greenwald received 15,359 total votes with 36% of the vote.
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On September 9's edition of "4 The People", Howe told FOX4's John Holt that despite the county's population growing by nearly 100,000 from 2009 to 2024, the crime rate in Johnson County has remained virtually flat. Howe's message to criminals is if they are caught in Johnson County, they will be held accountable.
According to his website , Howe plans to continue fighting to stop elder abuse, confront domestic violence, resolve mental health challenges and tackle drug crimes.
Democratic Candidate Vanessa Riebli
Riebli defeated Zach Thomas, a criminal defense attorney, in a very close Democratic primary race. Riebli received 17,341 total votes with 50.6% of the vote and Thomas received 16,963 total votes, earning 49.5% of the vote.
In 2020, Howe defeated Thomas in the 2020 General Election.
According to her website , Riebli is wanting to bring fresh leadership to the Johnson County District Attorney's Office and rebuild community trust.
She also has plans to combat the fentanyl crisis, help those struggling with mental health and ensure women can make personal healthcare choices without fear of being prosecuted for political reasons.
