4 March 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is pushing back against the latest comments from New York City Mayor Eric Adams. In an exclusive interview with Kansas Capitol Bureau, she explained what’s led up to the heightened tensions over his comments.
Adams took a jab at the state’s Capital city of Topeka earlier this week, drawing a parallel between the city and a “small town or village somewhere.” The Governor responded to the mayor in a tweet Friday, stating he “[owes] Kansas an apology.”
“It just seems to be something about Kansas. I can’t tell you, I’m not in his head.” Kelly said.
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This is the second time Adams has made public disparaging comments about the state. In September, he said Kansas “doesn’t have a brand.“
After his comments last year, the governor said she took a different approach, sending her daughter and son-in-law in New York to respond with some “Kansas kindness.”
“I asked him to go to Gracie Mansion, which is on the Upper East Side in Manhattan, and deliver some ‘Kansas kindness’ in the form of Creekstone Farm steaks. But we also gave him some other non-steak Kansas goodies to just sort of shower him with Kansas kindness and tell him he’s forgiven,” Kelly said. “I was glad to respond that way the first time. This time, no.”
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This time, the Governor said she’s putting her foot down. She said she hopes the mayor sees her tweet and delivers an apology.
“No mayor, no elected official, no other person ought to even think those kinds of things about another state or community, much less, let them come out of your mouth,” Kelly said.