TOPEKA — Kansas Republicans appear to have preserved the two-thirds edge in the House and Senate despite a costly effort by Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly to diminish the supermajority and make it easier to veto legislation.
Democrats hoped to gain two seats in the House and three in the Senate to break the GOP advantage, but unofficial results indicated Republican candidates prevailed in eight of nine closely watched House contests and in five of six Senate races central to the power struggle.
Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach celebrated accomplishments of Republican legislative candidates and said it was time to use that partisan leverage to change the Kansas Constitution to allow governors to nominate people to the Kansas Supreme Court subject to confirmation by the Senate.
“Kansans rejected the liberal agenda and expanded Republican supermajorities,” Kobach said. “Now it’s time to reform how we select our justices.”
State Rep. Nick Hoheisel, a Wichita Republican with a big lead on his Democrat rival, put it simply: “A good night for the Right Future of Kansas.”
In nine hotly contested House races, unofficial results with all precincts reporting indicated Democratic Rep. Virgil Weigel of Topeka held off Republican challenger Pennie Boyer-Kloos of Berryton by a margin of 55% to 45%. That was a rare bright spot in the Democratic Party’s ledger.
In Hutchinson, Democratic Rep. Jason Probst appeared to lose his reelection campaign against Republican Kyler Sweely. The margin, with all precincts reporting, was 52% for Sweely and 48% for Probst. Democratic Reps. Dennis Miller of Olathe and Allison Hougland of Olathe also appeared to lose as well.
Other GOP victories, based on preliminary vote counts: Leawood Rep. Carl Turner deflected Democrat Ace Allen; Lenexa Rep. Laura Williams outran Democrat Betsey Lasister; Shawnee Rep. Angela Stiens defeated Democrat Vanessa Vaughn West; and Wichita Rep. Sandy Pickert beat Democrat Veronica Gillette.
Among six Senate races considered influential in terms of the supermajority, Democratic incumbent Sen. Usha Reddi of Manhattan was down 500 votes against Republican challenger Brad Starnes of Riley. With all precincts reporting in that race, Starnes was up 51% to 49% for Reddi.
Incumbent Democratic Sen. Jeff Pittman of Leavenworth trailed Republican Jeff Klemp by 61 votes out of more than 30,000 cast. The race could be headed to a recount.
Two Senate incumbents viewed as vulnerable by Democrats, Republican Mike Thompson of Shawnee and Kellie Warren of Leawood, likely won another four-year term by 2,000-vote margins against Democratic challengers. In the competition for two open Senate seats in Olathe, Republican Rep. Adam Thomas and GOP candidate T.J. Rose also looked to have won by solid margins.
Winners for more than one-third of the 165 seats in the Kansas Legislature were known before polls opened Tuesday, but that reality concealed keen interest among Republicans and Democrats in the outcome of other races for House and Senate.
Fifty-eight seats in the Legislature — 50 in the House and eight in the Senate — were unofficially settled in the August primary. The victor of those 58 contests didn’t draw a general election opponent, so they were allowed to relax and watch as others sweated out the fall campaign. Of the 58, Republicans claimed 37 seats and Democrats the remaining 21.
Incumbent Rep. Mark Schreiber, R-Emporia, talks with Democratic challenger Mic McGuire on Tuesday night at the Lyon County courthouse
Incumbent Rep. Mark Schreiber, R-Emporia, talks with Democratic challenger Mic McGuire on Tuesday night at the Lyon County courthouse. When the two spoke, it was apparent from nearly complete returns that Schreiber would be reelected. (Max McCoy/Kansas Reflector)
