[13] As the two top vote-getters, Whipple and Longwell were on the November 5 ballot as the two finalists for voters to choose between in the runoff in the city's 2019 general mayoral election.

[16][17][18][19] Longwell argued that his efforts were not simply favoritism, but an attempt to bolster "keep money in the community", but the revelation aggravated questions of transparency in government that Whipple and Wells campaigned on.

[19] In response to the controversy, Wichita restaurateur Jon Rolph, aided by former mayors (Republican Bob Knight and Democrat Carl Brewer), launched a $10,000 campaign to persuade third-place primary loser Lyndy Wells to resume his campaign as a write-in candidate, noting that Whipple lacked experience in city affairs.

[21][22][23] In October 2019, Whipple found himself the victim of an elaborate, covert, multi-state defamatory campaign in which Republican state Representative Michael Capps was implicated.

[24] After the publication of the identities of those involved in the attacks, Sedgwick County Republican party chair Dalton Glasscock called for Capps to resign.

The Democratic party was also criticized for publicly sending a mailer claiming that Longwell was being investigated by the District Attorney for "corruption".

[1] In October 2020, Whipple, represented by former U.S. Attorney Randy Rathburn, filed suit against Capps, Wichita City Councilman James Clendenin, and Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O'Donnell, for defamation involving the false charges made against him in the 2019 mayoral election race.

Allegations cited were that the co-conspirators tried to blame the conspiracy on Glasscock or Matthew Colburn, and that, with false accusations, they further intended to generate marital discord within Whipple's own family.