This Johnson County race is usually overlooked. So why is it now hotly contested?

It was the disasters in Flint and Newark — where low-income communities were poisoned by lead-contaminated drinking water —that inspired Olathe retiree Ullyses Wright to become a first-time candidate.

“It seems to me that a public entity, serving the public, needs to be representative of the public,” said Wright, one of three contenders for an open seat on the WaterOne board, which oversees Johnson County’s water supply.

“People need to speak up for people of color and people with different socioeconomic backgrounds, especially thinking about what happened in Flint and now Newark.”

(Read more: KC Star Local News)