KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A pair of Kansas representatives from around the Kansas City area who have navigated legal issues failed to advance in their party primaries Tuesday night.
RELATED: Full Aug. 2, 2022 Primary Election Results
In Wyandotte County, incumbent Rep. Aaron Coleman came up short in the Democratic primary for Kansas House District 37.
Melissa Oropeza won the primary with 1,203 votes, or about 49%. Faith Rivera finished second with 923 votes, or about 38%. Coleman finished with 321 votes, or about 13%.
In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Coleman congratulated Oropeza.
"I hope this decision is the best for everyone," Coleman posted. "Thank you to all my supporters and everyone who voted."
Earlier this year, Coleman reached a diversion agreement connected to a domestic violence incident in Oct. 2021.
Kansas legislators had also filed complaints over Coleman’s behavior since he was first elected in 2020.
Further south, incumbent Rep. Mark Samsel failed in his bid to secure the Republican nomination for Kansas House District 5. The district includes portions of four Kansas counties: Anderson, Franklin, Linn and Miami County.
In unofficial final results, Carrie Barth won the GOP nomination with 2,769 votes, or 63%. Samsel earned 1,599 votes, or 37%.
In Sept. 2021, Samsel reached a plea agreement with prosecutors stemming from an incident in a Wellsville, Kansas, high school classroom. As part of the plea agreement, Samsel pleaded guilty to three counts of disorderly conduct and was sentenced to 12 months probation.
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