30 Facts About Brandon Whipple

Brandon Whipple was born on July 13,1982 and is an American politician and academic who formerly served as mayor of Wichita, Kansas.

Brandon Whipple previously served as a Democratic Party member of the Kansas House of Representatives representing the 96th district, which included part of south Wichita and was the Ranking Minority member on the Higher Education Budget committee.

Brandon Whipple defeated incumbent Jeff Longwell in the 2019 Wichita mayoral election.

Brandon Whipple ran for a second term as mayor in the 2023 Wichita mayoral election, but lost to Lily Wu.

Brandon Whipple earned his Associate of Arts in liberal studies from New Hampshire's Hesser College in 2003.

Brandon Whipple moved to Wichita, Kansas, at age 21 in a year-long education-service mission with AmeriCorps, working with at-risk youth at Wichita South High School.

Brandon Whipple graduated from WSU with a bachelor's degree in sociology and a minor in psychology; later at WSU, he earned a master's degree in liberal studies, with an emphasis on cross-cultural studies and public administration.

Brandon Whipple later acquired a Doctor of Arts in leadership studies from Franklin Pierce University, a private college in New Hampshire.

Brandon Whipple first ran for the Kansas House of Representatives in 2010 against Phil Hermanson.

Brandon Whipple lost, but shortly afterward the Sedgwick County Democratic Party elected him its vice chair.

Brandon Whipple was re-elected to the seat in 2014,2016 and 2018, in a district that voted for Donald Trump for president in 2016.

Brandon Whipple was assigned to the Committee on Elections and the Joint Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight.

Brandon Whipple ran in the 2019 election for mayor of Wichita.

In October 2019, Brandon Whipple found himself the victim of an elaborate, multi-state, covert smear campaign in which Republican state Representative Michael Capps was implicated as a perpetrator.

In October 2020, Brandon Whipple, represented by former US Attorney Randy Rathbun, filed suit against Capps, Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin, and Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, for defamation involving the false charges made against him in the 2019 mayoral election race.

O'Donnell was accused of writing the script for the video frame-up, Brandon Whipple said that he felt sorry for the then-21-year-old Colburn who had been scapegoated by the actual perpetrators.

Brandon Whipple was proceeding to remove Clendenin from the City Council where he possessed such authority.

Brandon Whipple entered office about the time the COVID-19 pandemic erupted.

Brandon Whipple was reportedly frustrated by the city's mask ordinance and other mitigation measures against the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented him from seeing his mother.

Brandon Whipple, who had been a target of local criticism for passing the ordinance, said he will increase security at his home in response to the alleged threat.

However, Brandon Whipple expressed reluctance to fully trust the same developers with the new project.

In footage obtained from the officer's body-worn camera, Brandon Whipple is seen calling City Manager Robert Layton and telling him that the officer "doesn't know who I am," before requesting the name of the acting chief of police so that he could file a complaint.

Brandon Whipple used the situation to call for a review of Wichita police body-camera policies, but ultimately apologized for his role in the event.

The local police union expressed offense, countering that the video Brandon Whipple released was not complete, and claimed that Brandon Whipple's version of the story was false or exaggerated.

Two days later Brandon Whipple gave a statement at a press conference stating:.

Brandon Whipple didn't deserve to be thrown into a wall, slammed to the ground and have someone sit on his back, and then handcuffed.

Wu and Brandon Whipple were the two top vote-getters, and proceeded to the 2023 Wichita City General Election.

Brandon Whipple received support from a PAC run by his wife, and from the local firefighters' union.

Brandon Whipple lost to Wu, who was sworn in on January 8,2024.

Brandon Whipple is married to Chelsea Brandon Whipple, a Wichita State University graduate.