The Kansas GOP is trying to draw Sharice Davids out of her congressional district
Last week, Kansas Republicans leading the committee that will redraw congressional districts in the state rushed through one of the most essential parts of the redistricting process: listening to the people.
The committee crammed all 14 of its town halls into the span of just one week, and conducted the majority of them during the middle of the workday. To make the matter worse — and perhaps anticipating the backlash they’d eventually receive about their sham process — the town halls were announced by Republicans in the waning hours of the Friday evening before the meetings would start.
The intent was clear: Republicans wanted as little public input as possible so they can gerrymander Kansas for their own partisan benefits and ensure Republican dominance for the next decade.
Republicans haven’t been shy about hiding their intention either. Former Kansas Senate President Susan Wagle admitted during a private fundraiser that they want to gerrymander the Democrats’ only congressional representative out of her seat. “I guarantee you, we can draw four Republican congressional maps,” Wagle declared during her speech to Republican donors.
Republicans aren’t interested in drawing fair maps. They’ve proven time and again that they’re willing to buck Kansans’ interest and cling on to power by choosing their voters, not the other way around. And Kansans have taken note.
During the redistricting town halls last week, Kansans let the redistricting commission know exactly where they stood:
“This breakup of our county creates challenges within our community of interest when issues arise that require attention at the state and federal level of government. … We need a fair and nonpartisan process when these boundaries are developed,” said Jim Swim during the first town hall in Manhattan.
“Any plan to draw Wyandotte County into, say, the Big 1st congressional district would have a chilling effect on the African American voting bloc in Wyandotte County,” said Stacey Knoell, a concerned Olathe resident. “Those of us living in Johnson County would know that a map breaking off Wyandotte County would have no other purpose than to break apart the Democratic voting base that northeast Kansas has become, and, of course, meet the stated goal of drawing Sharice Davids out of a winnable district.”
“I find (this redistricting process) to be a shameful effort, one that is disrespectful of voters and devaluing of democracy. Politicians should not be picking voters. Voters should be picking politicians,” added Angela Schieferecke of Prairie Village.
The message conveyed by Kansas Republicans sends a troubling signal to the state’s voters: Redistricting in Kansas will continue to be manipulated to achieve specific political goals, elevate partisan interest over the public’s interest and gerrymander the state to make competition null.
Outside the walls of the Capitol in Topeka, there is no divide over the need to end gerrymandering in Kansas. There is a reason why grassroots support for fair maps is so widespread. Voters want real elections with real choices, not gerrymandered elections with little to no competition.
However, Kansas Republicans have proven that they will do everything they can to allow for as little real, meaningful public input as possible.
Those in a position to select our next redistricting commissioners have a choice: They can either continue to leave everyday voters without a seat at the table, or they can take meaningful steps toward empowering Kansas voters and restore the public’s confidence in our democratic system by appointing an independent, nonpartisan redistricting commission.
Vicki Hiatt is chair of the Kansas Democratic Party.
This story was originally published August 20, 2021 at 5:00 AM with the headline "The Kansas GOP is trying to draw Sharice Davids out of her congressional district."