Voters in St. Joseph will head to the polls in the mayoral primary on Feb. 3, with four candidates seeking to advance to the April 7 general election or win the position outright, should they receive more than 50% of the primary vote.
The candidates have campaigned at city events and on social media over the last few months; the filing period for the election closed on Oct. 28, 2025. The process required collecting signatures from city residents to petition onto the ballot.
All four candidates appeared at a Jan. 28 forum sponsored by the City Chamber of Commerce, their comments below are captured from that event.
Kenneth Reeder
Kenneth Reeder has been involved in the local government, schools, and St. Joseph community for years. He served on the school board and remains a frequent figure at public meetings in the city. He said providing housing for the city's homeless population is a priority and said he would seek solutions that work work St. Joseph, rather than mimicking policy out of Kansas City.
He also advertised himself as a truth teller.
"I'm going be a positive force for us throughout the region, because you know I can. You know I will speak up and tell you the truth no matter how badly it hurts," he said during the forum.
Jonathan McClain
A local business owner, McClain said he seeks to listen, offer a new perspective, and focus more on agreement over disagreement within the city.
"One of my number one priorities is to foster unity in the community. My belief is that we should not discuss controversial issues that we are going to fight and argue about. I think it is a much higher priority to focus on the things we do agree on," McClain said.
Those areas of agreement, in his view, include issues such as cleaning up the city's downtown and sidewalks, improving the housing stock, and moving unhoused residents into stable homes and shelters.
Larry Miller
Miller is known to many residents as the "Walking Waver," a moniker earned for his frequent walks in the city on which waves at each passing car.
Miller said he wants to create an open-door policy at City Hall, emphasizing transparency and communication. Additionally, he spoke of the "need for more policemen on the streets."
"And we need people to start getting in contact with the police and helping them,' he added, "because they can't [police] the city by themselves. But if we help them, we can make St. Joe a great city to live in."
Beyond policing, Miller wants to work with the Chamber of Commerce to bring jobs into the community and ensure residents know how their tax dollars are spent.
John Josendale
Josendale was elected mayor in April 2022, and is seeking a second 4-year term. At the forum, Josendale said he would maintain his current focus areas.
"I want to continue some of the progress that we're making, whether it be in economic development, city security, or communications. These are things we are working very diligently on in the city right now," he said.
"I have a strong council that I am working with and I would like the honor of serving St. Joseph again," Josendale added.
Like the other candidates, Josendale recognized the need for more housing and he compared the city government to a corporation and its residents to customers. The mayor's job is to make decisions that are best for the entire group, he said.
Voting in the primary is open on Feb. 3 from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at locations across the city. Any candidate who receives more than 50% of the vote during the election will automatically be appointed to office. If no candidate secures more than 50%, the top two vote-getters will appear on the general election ballot on April 7.
For more information on how to vote, call the Buchanan County Clerk's Office at (816) 271-1412 or visit their website.
