KS, MO have had their Politico presidential election ratings shift. Here’s the change
Kansas and Missouri are still Republican states, but less of a lock than in 2016, according to Politico’s latest presidential election forecast.
Both states had been in the political site’s “solid Republican” category— sure things, in other words — for President Donald Trump. But on Sunday it moved Kansas and Missouri to “likely Republican.”
“Joe Biden is unlikely to become the first Democrat to carry Kansas since 1964,” Politico said, but polls of the Senate race show a presidential contest more competitive than in recent elections.”
As for Missouri, it “isn’t reprising its former role as a swing state, but it’s likely to be closer this year than in 2016, when President Donald Trump carried the state by 19 points,” the site said.
Signs of Trump’s eroding support in Kansas and Missouri were the subject of a New York Times story last week, which said private GOP surveys indicated “Biden has drawn closer in solidly red states, including Montana, Kansas and Missouri.”
In 2016, Trump took Missouri over Hillary Clinton, 56.4%-37.9%, and Kansas, 56.2%-35.7%.
Cook Political Report, an independent politics site, made a similar move in late July, changing both Kansas and Missouri from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican” for the presidential election.
This story was originally published October 12, 2020 at 4:15 PM.
