Claire McCaskill, Josh Hawley, Roy Blunt, Laura Kelly, Kevin Yoder and lots of other elected officials in Missouri and Kansas had much to say in 2018. Here are some of the year’s most memorable quotes.
Kansas state Sen. Babara Bollier may be the first of several moderate Republicans who say goodbye to the GOP and join the Democratic Party. If this becomes a trend, it would fundamentally change Kansas politics.
After a 1979 news conference, the future president got in a food line behind me, then began asking about my parents, my future and journalism. George Bush was all about the relationships.
No rest for the weary for Kansas’ new governor. Laura Kelly has a long list of tasks to complete before she takes the oath of office. And she must accomplish them in the wake of a long, grueling campaign
Full accreditation for Kansas City Public Schools was seen as a years-off possibility. But now, state officials are expressing fresh confidence that the district might reach that goal as soon as this spring.
Even though Missouri Republicans, including Eric Greitens, Rod Jetton and John Diehl, have faced scandal after scandal, voters still back the party. That says something about the GOP’s iron grip on the state.
Things can’t get any worse for Missouri Democrats, who now control only one statewide office. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s loss in Tuesday’s election made clear there’s no easy path for the party to regain power.
In the midterm election of 2018, little made sense. Republicans, who should be down on their luck, stand to gain Senate seats even if they lose the House. Voters may be more tribalized than ever before.
Greg Orman, independent candidate for Kansas governor, discussed issues with The Star’s editorial board. He’s said he’s unconvinced that Kris Kobach and Laura Kelly have the right experience to run the state.
Wyandotte County has a long history of lousy voter turnout, and that has cost Democrats. In November, the county could make the difference in the governor’s race and the 3rd District race for Congress.
Passing the Clean Missouri plan in the November election will have a more lasting impact on state politics than anything else this year — including the Senate race between Claire McCaskill and Josh Hawley.
Political polling has faced a mega-storm of criticism since Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016.. But surveys can still provide useful information about how the candidates stack up.
Jason Kander’s candid admission of his struggles with PTSD and suicidal thoughts have swung open the door for veterans and others suffering from mental illness to step out and seek treatment.
Republicans are on top in Washington and back home in Missouri. But developments surrounding Brett Kavanaugh and the Clean Missouri initiative may mean that much of their authority will soon be gone.
Eric Greitens is said to have made phone calls to financial backers to explore a comeback run for MIssouri governor. The idea is laughable, but Greitens just might be ambitious enough to try it.
At the first Kansas City mayoral forum, seven candidates not named Jason Kander demonstrated that the race for the city’s top office won’t be a slow-motion coronation for the former U.S. Senate candidate.
The perfect political position for any leader? That’s following an unpopular predecessor. Sly James did it with Mark Funkhouser and now Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is getting a leg up by following Eric Greitens.
Teen candidates running for Kansas governor seemed like an intriguing novelty. But now that the primary is over, the real-life consequence of their activism is apparent. And that’s GOP nominee Kris Kobach.
Republicans once feared Democrat Josh Svaty as their toughest potential rival in the Kansas governor’s race. Now Svaty says his political career might be over thanks to abortion-rights backers who derailed his campaign.
He’s written the book on running as an independent, and this is his second time around. Those are clear indications that Greg Orman, candidate for Kansas governor, is in the race for the long haul.
The Star’s editorial board members chatted with Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley about the opioid crisis and new abortion legislation during a Facebook Live show in June.
