Republicans are obeying Trump to redraw Kansas’ districts. Don’t let them | Opinion
In 2022, Kansas Republicans gerrymandered our congressional maps, splitting up Lawrence and Wyandotte County to tilt the playing field in their favor. Mainstream Coalition and our partners in the KS Fair Maps Coalition called foul, fighting for fair maps and a fair process.
But now, they’re gearing up to do it again. Only this time, it’s even worse.
Instead of waiting until 2030, Republican leaders in Topeka (some of them eyeing the governor’s mansion) are caving to Donald Trump’s demands and racing to follow Texas and Missouri in silencing voters. Their goal is to carve up Johnson County to weaken Rep. Sharice Davids’ chances in the 3rd District, even though she’s a popular candidate to her voters — in 2024 she won by more than 10 points
It’s an unprecedented power grab that puts partisanship over people and strips voters of their voice.
In past redistricting cycles, politicians at least pretended to listen to Kansans before drawing lines. Not this time. Rumors already suggest the supermajority is working behind closed doors on new maps — without public input, hearings, or transparency. Instead of respecting voters, they’re rewriting the rules to guarantee their own wins.
For me, this isn’t about Republicans or Democrats. It’s about democracy. My vote is worth the same as my neighbors’, no matter their party. I believe in the power of elections so much that I ran for and won a seat on the Shawnee City Council in 2023. When I knocked on doors, I didn’t ask about party. I listened, gained trust and promised transparency. I earned my votes. That’s how democracy should work.
Redistricting every 10 years is in the U.S. Constitution. It ensures every Kansan’s voice is represented equally as our population grows and shifts. Redrawing our congressional map only halfway through the cycle is not about fairness. It’s cheating to gain political power and privilege. It silences Kansans so politicians don’t have to listen to them.
If I tried to change the rules in Shawnee so I could never lose an election, my neighbors would run me out of town — and they’d be right to.
We the people elect our representatives, not politicians drawing crooked lines behind closed doors. To those pushing these fake maps: You’re not just betraying your constituents, you’re betraying Kansas. And let’s be clear — these aren’t just local games. They’re part of Trump’s playbook of manipulating elections for power at any cost.
Kansans see what’s happening. We will remember. We will organize. And we will fight to protect our democracy. Our votes are not yours to steal.
Laurel Burchfield is the advocacy director at Mainstream Coalition, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit advocating for church-state separation and religious freedom. She is also a first-term member of the Shawnee City Council.