Is There Less The Matter With Kansas Now?

Thursday we saw that Kansas state Senator Barbara Bollier, from the suburbs south of Kansas City, had quit the GOP and joined the Democrats. I ended with a question:

Now... will Democrats influence Bollier towards understanding and adopting more progressive values? Or will Bollier influence Kansas Democrats in the legislature to become more conservative?

My worries have just been compounded because, as Steve Kraske reported for the Kansas City Star, more Kansas Republicans are defecting or considering defecting. "In the wake of Bollier’s announcement," wrote Kraske, "Sen. Dinah Sykes, another moderate Republican from Johnson County, is contemplating doing the same thing." So is state Rep. Stephanie Clayton of Overland Park. And in nearby Leawood, state Rep. Joy Koesten says she's switching.

"So is this the beginning of a significant political realignment in the state that could lead to the eventual extinction of moderate Republicans," he asked? "Or is this a mere blip on Kansas’ always evolving political radar screen? There’s a lot to unpack here." Remember from the Thursday piece how incredibly nasty the reaction was towards Bollier from the right-wing extremist, Susan Wagle of Wichita, the Senate president?

Democratic newcomer Rui Xu’s victory over moderate state Rep. Melissa Rooker of Fairway shook a lot of Republicans. Clayton contends that conservatives actively worked against Rooker “out of pure spite.” Rooker was left fighting a two-front war against newly resurgent Democrats and her own party.

Moderates are feeling increasingly isolated in a political no-man’s-land. That’s an ugly place for anybody. 
“The question I have been asking myself is, what is the path forward for moderates in Kansas?” Sykes said. Right now, Republican leaders don’t want them, and Democratic voters aren’t pulling their levers.

Democratic Party leaders, though, have unfurled the welcome map. President Donald Trump, they point out, will be on the 2020 ballot and will be a focal point, just as he was this year. That alone should keep Democratic hopes high, particularly in suburban areas such as Johnson County... Too many Trump lies. Too much misguided tax policy from Gov. Sam Brownback.

Extremist Kansas Secretary of State, Kris Kobach (R), managed to lose the gubernatorial race last month-- in a state with an R+13 PVI (redder than Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Missouri). Trump won the state 671,018 (56.6%) to 427,005 (36.0%) but many people say his rally for Kobach in Kansas City did Kobach more harm than good. The rally also helped propel Democrat Sharice Davids to a victory over GOP incumbent Kevin Yoder. In the end Davids beat Yoder 164,253 (53.3%) to 136,104 (44.2%), with a gigantic majority in the Wyandotte County part of the district and a substantial win in Johnson County (which is most of the district).

And in the rest of eastern Kansas, the Democrats would probably have won the congressional race, except for the DCCC recruiting a very conservative Blue Dog, Paul Davis, who no self-respecting progressive would want to vote for. Steve Watkins edged him 124,895 (48.1%) to 120,421 (46.4%).

Is Kansas changing? It looks that way, but... how far right will the Democratic Party have to move to accommodate mainstream conservative Republicans ("moderates")?