Quinton Lucas

Quinton Donald Lucas (born August 19, 1984) is an American politician, lawyer, and academic. On August 1, 2019, he became the 55th mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, the youngest Kansas City mayor since 1855, and the city's third African-American mayor. He is a member of the Democratic Party. Lucas was born and mostly raised in Kansas City's heavily disadvantaged East Side, experiencing poverty and homelessness during childhood. He earned an academic scholarship to the private high school, The Barstow School. He attended Washington University in St. Louis for his undergraduate degree and earned a Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School. He was a law professor at the University of Kansas School of Law and in private practice, and he continued teaching there during his political career. He was elected to the Kansas City Council in 2015, where he represented the 3rd District-at-large. As mayor, Lucas has focused on public safety, affordable housing, and infrastructure. His tenure has overseen the completion of major projects, including a new single terminal at Kansas City International Airport. He has supported progressive social policies, such as the local decriminalization of marijuana and making Kansas City a sanctuary city for seeking or providing gender-affirming care. He won the 2019 mayoral election and was reelected in 2023.

Photo: US Air Force photo by Major Shelley Ecklebe, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons