Kansas spent thousands on redistricting tool before special session was rejected
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Kansas spent $43,000 on Caliper redistricting software, support and training.
- GOP leaders plan a mid-decade remap in 2026 despite failed November special session.
- Critics warn gerrymander attempt risks making multiple Kansas seats competitive.
Kansas purchased tens of thousands of dollars worth of redistricting software, support and training this fall before plans for a November special session fell through.
GOP leaders, who say they will revive their mid-decade redistricting push when the Legislature convenes next year, insist they haven’t yet used the software to produce a new congressional map for lawmakers to consider.
Receipts obtained by The Star through an open records request show the state spent a combined $43,000 on mapping services from Massachusetts-based Caliper Corporation in September.
The purchase came as GOP leaders worked to drum up support for a special session aimed at gerrymandering U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids — the lone Democrat and non-white member of Kansas’ congressional delegation — out of office.
“It’s outrageous that politicians in Topeka secretly used Kansans’ hard-earned tax dollars to silence the very people footing the bill — all for a map folks haven’t seen and a process they’ve been cut out of,” Davids said in a statement.
Senate Republicans fell into line behind President Ty Masterson, but House Speaker Dan Hawkins came up several signatures short when 10 GOP representatives refused to sign onto the special session petition.
Hawkins and Masterson have repeatedly stressed their intention to move forward with redistricting, even as it remains unclear whether they will have the votes to overcome Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s all-but-certain veto of a new map.
The plan to divide Johnson County and oust Davids comes with a fair share of risk for Republicans. Sam Wang, a redistricting expert who leads the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, told The Star in September that a miscalculation could make multiple Kansas seats competitive for Democrats.
Davids’ margin of victory notably increased in the 3rd Congressional District after Kansas’ last redistricting fight in 2022, despite Republicans’ controversial decision to split the Democratic stronghold of Wyandotte County in half to tip the advantage in their favor.
Who draws the map?
President Donald Trump incited the current mid-decade remapping frenzy, which is without precedent in U.S. history. Historically, congressional maps have been redrawn every 10 years following the Census.
Masterson, an Andover Republican who’s running for governor — and actively courting a Trump endorsement — previously suggested he would not play a hands-on role in creating a map designed to maximize his party’s odds of maintaining its slim majority in the U.S. House.
“There’s a misunderstanding out there (about) what’s happening. I’m not drawing the map,” Masterson told reporters in October.
Pressed on who would be responsible for furnishing it, Masterson responded, “Probably a national drawing outfit that’s working on it from a federal perspective. It’s a federal map.”
But a spokesperson for his office confirmed that a member of Masterson’s staff participated in Caliper Corporation’s virtual redistricting training.
“A member of our staff received the training. However, no maps have been drawn to this point,” spokesperson Megan Stookey said in an email statement Monday.
According to the receipts obtained by The Star, Caliper Corporation provided six hours of virtual online training for up to 10 participants at $4,000.
The other $39,000 paid out by the Kansas Legislative Research Department was for “Maptitude for Redistricting Support,” according to the receipts.
Caliper Corporation did not respond to a request for comment about its services. According to its website, the software is “used by a supermajority of the state legislatures, political parties, and public interest groups” responsible for redrawing congressional and state legislative maps.
Masterson and Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who’s running for state insurance commissioner, refused to provide details about when a map proposal will be shared with lawmakers or made public.
“KLRD has the software. They purchased it in the case that we had a special session but because that did not happen, nothing has been done with it at this time,” said Carrie Rahfaldt, a spokesperson for Hawkins’ office, in an email statement Monday.
When Missouri passed its own gerrymandered map in September, critics objected to the fact that no one knew who drew the document, which was provided by Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office. In a social media post, Trump demanded that Republican lawmakers “pass this Map now, AS IS.”
Kansas lawmakers weigh in
Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Coldwater Republican, said he’s heartened by the fact that Kansas’ congressional map proposal will be developed in-state.
“I’m not interested in a map by D.C. I’m wanting to see what we can come up with.” Hoffman said, adding that he hasn’t made up his mind yet about how he will vote.
“I’m not going to say yes or no until I see the map,” he said.
Rep. Stephanie Clayton, an Overland Park Democrat, said she remains adamantly opposed to the redistricting effort. If it does move forward, though, she doesn’t want Johnson County to be the only community targeted.
“I guess if they are going ahead and drawing maps, since they’re so intent on dividing the economic engine of the state, the true urban center of the state, then I sincerely hope that those maps also divide Wichita,” Clayton said.
“Because if we’re coming after Johnson County and the Kansas City area and trying to divide that up and take away our representation, fair is fair.”
Davids, who has entertained running for U.S. Senate next year if state lawmakers redraw her House district, said GOP leadership underestimates Kansans’ independent streak.
“No matter what these politicians assume, Kansans won’t blindly follow a scheme designed by Washington extremists to cheat the system and protect one party’s power,” Davids said.
