Campaign Retrospective - Billy Croan for Mayor of Merriam
An interview with Merriam Mayoral Candidate Billy Croan
By Percy Wegmann
I spoke with Merriam resident Billy Croan shortly after his 2025 bid to become mayor of this Johnson County town of around 12,000 residents. An IT systems administrator, Billy lost to incumbent Bob Pape, but managed to garner nearly a quarter of the votes cast. I wanted to hear in his words how a libertarian-leaning outsider managed to mount a serious challenge to the insider candidate.
Billy found his way to Merriam and into politics as much out of necessity as anything else. In 2014 he set out to find a Johnson County home of his own, and his requirements pointed to new construction. Billy managed to find something suitable in Merriam, but with a catch–it was in an HOA. The fees were reasonable and Billy appreciated the services like communal landscaping, but he feared what might happen should the HOA turn into a petty tyranny of intrusive gossipers. Rather than just hope for the best, he got involved, and when the HOA was turned over to its residents in 2015, Billy ran for and joined the board of directors, beginning what would turn into multiple years of service.
In his time on the board, Billy worked to reduce deed restrictions in the neighborhood; he spoke with pride about convincing a majority of residents to vote in favor of such changes on multiple occasions, and took joy in having those changes recorded with the county.
Billy started attending Merriam City Council meetings in order to learn more about how a professional civic organization runs its meetings, and bring some of that discipline to his HOA. In the process, he got sucked into city politics and served six years on Merriam’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
As someone who was first exposed to libertarian ideas by Ron Paul, Billy is motivated by a live and let live ethic, and is also passionate about holding city leadership accountable for their decisions. Prior to and during his campaign, Billy was a consistent fixture at both official City Council meetings and even working sessions, and he intends to continue showing up. In his own words, he’s not afraid to call out “BS”, and he has not exactly endeared himself to city staff or elected leaders.
Despite Bob Pape’s incumbent advantages like tacit support from city staff, his ability to use time City Council meetings in order to amplify his own political message, and privileged access to community data such as a schedule of upcoming block parties, Billy put up a good fight. Here’s how he did it.
Having been a regular fixture at city events gave Billy some name recognition, and he continued to show up at every city event and remain highly visible. He also invested in social media like TikTok and Instagram to increase the reach of his message.
When it comes to ground game, Billy dominated in yard signs by a margin of 3 to 1. He wore the tread off his Merrills knocking on 1,500 doors in a city of 5,000 homes. He campaigned on bike, an idea that he got from Altamonte Springs, FL City Commissioner Jim Turney whom Billy bet at the LPKS state convention. Carrying signs on the back, his bicycle made Billy instantly recognizable; people would see him around town and give plenty of honks, thumbs up and smiles.
As Billy went door to door, he wasn’t just selling himself, he listened. He made little notecards on which he’d note down what people liked and disliked about their city. He presented himself as a waiter and would say “I’m taking your order for a fresh new government”.
In the process, he learned that Merriam residents, including those who voted for him, are motivated by a diversity of issues. Most everyone seemed happy with city services like snow removal, but many wanted lower taxes. Some were eager to pay higher taxes to help fund economic development initiatives, while others worried about the pace at which the city has thrown money at such initiatives and wanted to stop corporate handouts. Some people connected with Billy on factors of identity, latching on to his youth, homosexuality or other characteristics that aren’t central to how he thinks of or presents himself, but that nonetheless resonated. What tied Billy’s voters together, it’s that they didn’t feel heard and wanted a deliberative city council that doesn’t just rubber stamp recommendations from staff.
A campaign like this is an intense six month commitment, and Billy couldn’t have done it without his spouse taking responsibility for their household’s finances. Along the way, he got help from a variety of people. Billy’s mom Mary Verdict served as treasurer, his sister helped with graphic design and media, and various professionals including photographers, an attorney and even a former city council member lent their expertise to the campaign. Billy also got offers from other volunteers, but he didn’t find the time to take advantage of them all. Beyond this, he benefited from regularly attending Libertarian Party mixers in the Kansas City area where he got ideas, monetary contributions and a chance to practice and refine his pitch.
When I asked Billy what’s next, he answered without hesitation–the same thing he’s been doing for the last 10 years, namely attending City Council meetings and staying active. He’s also started work on a mobile app to help coordinate libertarian campaigns.
If you want to get in touch with Billy, he can be reached at vote@croan.org.
