Independence mayor race focuses on AI data center, police chase policy and city finances

Name: Independence mayor race focuses on AI data center, police chase policy and city finances
Uploaded: 2026-04-06T23:13:16.000Z
Duration: 2 min 13 s
Description: The mayoral race in Independence, Missouri, is heavily focused on a controversial proposed AI data center project. Both candidates, Kevin King and Dr. Bridget McCandless, have taken differing stances, with King supporting a public vote on the project. The data center is identified as a hot-button issue for local voters.

News Clip2:13KMBC 9·Independence, Jackson County, MO·4/6/2026

The mayoral race in Independence, Missouri, is heavily focused on a controversial proposed AI data center project. Both candidates, Kevin King and Dr. Bridget McCandless, have taken differing stances, with King supporting a public vote on the project. The data center is identified as a hot-button issue for local voters.

oppositiongovernment

Gov: Independence, Independence Police Department, City Council, Mayor Rory Rowland

The mayoral election in Independence, Missouri, centers on several key issues, prominently featuring a controversial proposal for a new artificial intelligence data center. This project, slated for 400 acres near Highway 78 and Little Blue Parkway in the city's northeast, has become a significant topic for local voters.

Candidates for mayor, longtime union leader Kevin King and current city council member Dr. Bridget McCandless, have articulated different positions on the data center. King has endorsed a petition initiated by opponents to put the data center project up for a public vote. Conversely, McCandless has stated her support for a judge's decision related to the project, though the specifics of that ruling are not detailed in the report.

Beyond the data center, the election also involves discussions on the Independence Police Department, city lawsuits, and the financial impacts of other local developments, including the Cracker Neck Creek project, which Mayor Rory Rowland has characterized as a major economic setback for Independence.