What is Civic Mirror?

Civic Mirror is a civic technology platform designed to make government easier to understand, research and engage with. It brings together information about elected offices, public spending, legislation, judicial decisions and civic events into a single, searchable interface. The goal is to reduce fragmentation and help people see how public institutions function in practice, not just in theory.

What problem is Civic Mirror trying to solve?

Most public information already exists, but it is scattered across dozens of websites, written in technical language, and difficult to connect across roles, agencies and decision-making processes. Civic Mirror focuses on aggregation, context and clarity — helping users understand who is responsible for what, how decisions are made, and how those decisions connect over time.

Is Civic Mirror affiliated with a political party or campaign?

No. Civic Mirror is designed as a non-partisan platform. It does not endorse candidates, promote political parties, or tell users what positions to take. The platform is structured to present primary information and sourced material, allowing users to draw their own conclusions.

How does Civic Mirror maintain neutrality?

Neutrality is addressed structurally rather than rhetorically. The platform surfaces original sources wherever possible, clearly labels summarised content, and allows users to view information through different lenses — including progressive, conservative or just the facts. The intent is transparency about framing, not hidden editorial judgement.

What kind of information does the platform include?

Depending on availability, Civic Mirror can include: lists of elected offices at state, county and local level; role descriptions explaining what each office is responsible for; budget and spending information tied to specific offices; legislative bills with plain-language summaries; judicial rulings categorised by case type; public calendars, meetings and livestream links; and evidence panels linking officials to sourced articles, rulings or statements. All content is designed to be navigable without requiring specialist political knowledge.

How does Civic Mirror use AI?

AI is used primarily to process large volumes of public information and convert complex material — such as legislation or court rulings — into readable summaries. The underlying source material remains available, and summaries are intended as entry points, not replacements for original documents.

How can users engage with elected officials through Civic Mirror?

Where verified contact information exists, Civic Mirror allows users to send structured, one-click emails to elected officials about legislation, votes or public actions. The platform also supports pre-written question prompts to help users engage constructively, especially those new to civic participation.

Does Civic Mirror collect or sell user data?

Civic Mirror is designed to minimise data collection. User profiles exist to support engagement features, but the platform is not built around targeted advertising or data monetisation. Long-term sustainability is being approached cautiously, with an emphasis on trust and public value.

What makes Civic Mirror different from existing civic or transparency tools?

Many existing tools focus on a single dimension — voting records, legislation, budgets or elections. Civic Mirror's differentiator is connection: linking roles, decisions, money, events and outcomes so users can see how individual actions fit into a broader system. The emphasis is on continuity rather than snapshots.

Who is Civic Mirror for?

Civic Mirror is for anyone who wants a clearer, more connected understanding of how government works — whether they are voting, researching an issue, attending meetings, or simply trying to stay informed about the institutions that affect their daily lives. It is designed to be usable by people with no prior expertise, while still supporting deeper exploration for advanced users.

What is the long-term vision for Civic Mirror?

The long-term goal is to create durable civic infrastructure — what Pecenica describes as connective tissue between the public and their representatives. Rather than focusing on individual election cycles or controversies, Civic Mirror aims to support ongoing engagement, accountability and institutional memory over time.

What's next for the platform?

Planned enhancements include candidate profiles alongside existing officeholders, improved issue-based filtering (e.g. environment, education, infrastructure), deeper legislative tracking across committees and voting stages, and expanded coverage beyond Indiana. Development is iterative, with user feedback shaping priorities.

Shawnee County

58 seats · 58 filled · 0 vacant

Show:

	✎▶Seat CAND	TIP Name ⊘ AMA	Next Election
▶ Municipal (20: 20 filled, 0 vacant)
+	Mission Mayor	() Sollie Flora	Nov 2, 2027
+	Mayor, mayor	() Mike Padilla	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka Mayor	() Spencer Duncan	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member	() David Banks	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member	() Brett Kell	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member	() Murray McGee	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member	() Marcus Miller	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member	() Christina Valdivia-Alcalá	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member, 2	() Christina Valdivia-Alcala	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member, 4	() Tony Emerson	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member, 6	() Hannah Naeger	Nov 2, 2027
+	City Council Member, 8	() Spencer Duncan	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 1	() Karen Hiller	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 3	() Sylvia Ortiz	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 4	() David Banks	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 5	() Brett Kell	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 6	() Marcus Miller	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 7	() Michelle Bradberry	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 8	() Murray Mcgee	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka City Council District 9	() Michelle Hoferer	Nov 2, 2027
▶ School (5: 5 filled, 0 vacant)
+	Auburn-Washburn USD 437	() Bryan Smith	Nov 2, 2027
+	School Board Member	() Michelle Caudill	Nov 2, 2027
+	Shawnee Heights USD 450	() Rosa Cavazos	Nov 2, 2027
+	School Board Member	() Jason Seele	Nov 2, 2027
+	Topeka Public Schools USD 501	() Keith Tatum	Nov 2, 2027
▶ County (10: 10 filled, 0 vacant)
+	County Clerk	() Lisa Schmitt	Nov 3, 2026
+	County Treasurer	() Susan Duffy AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Commissioner District 2	() Kevin Cook	Nov 3, 2026
+	Commissioner District 3	() Aaron Mays	Nov 3, 2026
+	County Attorney	() Mike Kagay	Nov 3, 2026
+	County Legislator, 1	() Bill Riphahn	Nov 3, 2026
+	District Attorney	() Mike Kagay	Nov 3, 2026
+	Register of Deeds	() Becky Nioce AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Shawnee County Commissioner Dist 1	(R) Bill Riphahn	Nov 3, 2026
+	Sheriff	() Brian Hill	Nov 3, 2026
▶ State (16: 16 filled, 0 vacant)
+	KS Governor	(D) Laura Kelly	Nov 3, 2026
+	KS Attorney General	(R) Kris Kobach	Nov 3, 2026
+	KS Secretary of State	(R) Scott Schwab	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas Senate District 18	(R) Kenny Titus AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas Senate District 19	(D) Patrick Schmidt AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas Senate District 20	(R) Brenda Dietrich AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 47	(R) Ronald Ellis AMA	Nov 3, 2026
	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(D) John Alcala AMA	Nov 3, 2026
	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(R) Jesse Borjon AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(D) Kirk Haskins AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(R) Kyle McNorton AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(D) Tobias Schlingensiepen AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(D) Alexis Simmons AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 50	(D) Virgil Weigel AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 51	(R) Megan Steele AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	Kansas House of Representatives District 54	(R) Ken Corbet AMA	Nov 3, 2026
▶ Federal (7: 7 filled, 0 vacant)
	U.S. Senator — Class 2	(R) Roger Marshall AMA	Nov 3, 2026
	U.S. Senator — Class 3	(R) Jerry Moran AMA	Nov 3, 2026
	U.S. Representative — District 2	(R) Derek Schmidt AMA	Nov 3, 2026
+	U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas	(N) Monti Belot	Nov 3, 2026
+	U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas	(N) John Broomes	Nov 3, 2026
+	U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas	(N) Daniel Crabtree	Nov 3, 2026
+	U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas	(N) Toby Crouse	Nov 3, 2026

County Calendar

Click an official to view their profile and evidence.

Shawnee County, Kansas

On Record Crossposts Socials