#legislature

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Support Kansas Democrats in 2026

As Kansas Dems, we know how badly things go when Republicans are in charge.

jasonbeets.blogspot.com

Competitive Races for the Kansas Legislature

Today, we’ll take a tour of the races that will make or break the Republican Supermajority in the Kansas Legislature. But first, let’s examine how Republicans have used their Supermajority in recent years. Republican Priorities Since 2011, Republicans have held two-thirds supermajorities in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature. The Republican supermajority allows Republican legislators to override a governor’s veto with only Republican votes. This grants Republicans the ability to pass laws without support from any Democrats. Earlier this year, Republicans in the Kansas Legislature overrode a veto from Gov. Laura Kelly (D), to pass a draconian anti-trans bill into law. All of the members of the Kansas Legislature who voted to overturn Kelly's veto were Republicans. The law prevents transgender people from obtaining identity documents that reflect their gender identity, and makes it illegal for transgender people to use certain restrooms and locker rooms in government buildings. I wrote about the anti-trans law in an article I published last month. The Republican two-thirds supermajority also allows Republicans to advance constitutional amendments to a public vote, without the need to secure support from any Democrats in the Legislature. In Jan. 2021, both chambers of the Kansas Legislature advanced a state constitutional amendment that would give the Legislature the legal authority to enact a restrictive abortion ban. All members of the Legislature who voted for the proposed amendment were Republicans. In Aug. 2022, Kansas voters decisively rejected the proposed amendment by 18%. I wrote about Republican efforts to limit abortion rights in Kansas, which continued even after voters rejected the anti-abortion amendment. In March 2025, both chambers of the Kansas Legislature advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would replace the current merit-based process for selecting Kansas Supreme Court Justices with direct elections. Supporters of the proposal hoped electing State Supreme Court Justices would eventually lead the Kansas Supreme Court to overturn a key decision that protects abortion rights. Supporters also hoped electing Supreme Court Justices would prevent the Kansas Supreme Court from requiring the Legislature to spend more money on K-12 education than it otherwise would. All members of the Kansas Legislature who voted for the amendment to elect Kansas Supreme Court Justices were Republicans. Earlier this month, Kansas voters decisively rejected the proposed amendment by 23%. Last month, I wrote an in-depth editorial urging Kansans to vote against the amendment. Only 5 Seats Members of the Kansas House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the State Legislature, are up for reelection in 2026. Members of the Kansas Senate, the upper chamber of the State Legislature, won’t be up for reelection until 2028. Democrats only need to flip 5 seats in the Kansas House to break the Republican Supermajority in the chamber. If Democrats break the supermajority, Republicans won’t be able to override a governor’s veto, or advance constitutional amendments to a public vote, without receiving support from Democratic lawmakers. Today, we’ll explore the elections that will make or break the Republican Supermajority in the Kansas House. First, we’ll examine the most competitive races. Then, we’ll discuss the reach seats that could potentially flip under the right conditions. Finally, we’ll discuss the uncontested races in districts that could have been competitive if Democrats or Republicans had run a candidate. Most Competitive Races 10 Kansas House districts were decided by less than 6% in both 2024 and 2022. Those 10 districts were also decided by less than 700 votes in both 2024 and 2022. You can click the tables and maps in this article to view larger versions of them. This table lists the most competitive races for the Kansas House. The table lists the percent margin and vote margin in the district for each of the two most recent elections for the Kansas House. Candidates highlighted in soft yellow are the winners of contested primaries. The names of elected incumbents are followed by “(i)”. This table, and the ones that follow, are organized by the percent margin in 2024, with the closest races listed first. 6 of the 10 most competitive districts are located in Johnson County. In 2025, Johnson County was the largest county in Kansas, by population. 21.4% of Kansas residents lived in Johnson County in 2025, according to data from the US Census. That means more than 1 in 5 Kansans lived in Johnson County, last year. Johnson County is located in northeast Kansas, along the Kansas-Missouri border. 4 of the 10 most competitive districts are located outside Johnson County. One is split between Sedgwick and Butler counties, and contains part of Wichita. One is located in Reno County, and contains part of Hutchinson. One is located in Riley County, and contains part of Manhattan. One is located in Leavenworth County, and contains part of Leavenworth. Republicans flipped three seats in the Kansas House in 2024. They flipped districts 15, 14, and 102. This year, the elections in districts 15 and 102 will be rematches between the candidates who ran against each other in 2024. In these districts, former Democratic incumbents are running for their old seats, against the Republicans who defeated them two years ago. Allison Hougland and Jason Probst are running for the seats they lost in 2024. Now let’s take a closer look at the 6 most competitive races, which appear in the top half of the table above. All 6 of these districts were decided by less than 4% in both 2024 and 2022. All 6 districts were decided by less than 500 votes in both 2024 and 2022. One of these seats is held by a Democrat. The other 5 seats are held by Republicans. If Democrats win all 6 of these most competitive races, they will break the Republican Supermajority in the Kansas Legislature. That means Democrats would only need a uniform margin swing of 3.3% in these races, compared to the 2024 margins, to break the Republican Supermajority in the Legislature. 5 of the 6 most competitive Kansas House districts are located in Johnson County. One is split between Sedgwick and Butler counties. Reach Seats Next, let’s examine the less competitive seats that could potentially be in play. In the table above, margins less than 10% are highlighted in lighter shades of blue and pink, and margins greater than 10% are highlighted in darker shades of blue and pink. Each of these 8 districts were decided by less than 10% in either 2024 or 2022. Dist. 78, in Johnson County, was decided by less than 10% in both 2024 and 2022. Districts 56 and 96 were decided by less than 10% in 2024. Districts 8, 121, 33, 117, and 17 were decided by less than 10% in 2022. 4 of these 8 less competitive districts are located entirely in Johnson County. One is split between Johnson and Douglas counties. The remaining 3 districts are located in Shawnee, Sedgwick, and Wyandotte counties. Uncontested Races There are 5 uncontested races in districts that were decided by less than 10% in either 2024 or 2022. These are potentially competitive seats that either Republicans or Democrats left on the table by not running a candidate. Republicans left more potentially competitive seats on the table this year. 4 Democratic incumbents are running unopposed in potentially competitive districts, which means Republicans left 4 pickup opportunities on the table. One Republican incumbent is running unopposed in a potentially competitive district, which means Democrats left one pickup opportunity on the table. As a Democrat who desperately wants to break the Republican Supermajority in the Kansas Legislature, I am glad no Republicans chose to run in four potentially competitive districts. I hope they leave even more potentially winnable seats on the table in future elections. But I understand why Republicans might be less likely to run for office this year. President Trump’s constant abuses of power and mismanagement of the economy create a challenging political environment for Republicans, and a favorable political environment for Democrats. Dist. 48, in Johnson County, was decided by less than 6% in both 2024 and 2022. Districts 53 and 95 were decided by less than 8% in 2024. District 87 was decided by less than 9% in 2024. District 16 was decided by less than 9% in 2022. Two uncontested races, in potentially competitive seats, are for districts in Johnson County. Two are for districts in Sedgwick County. One is for a district in Shawnee County. Overview Now, let’s examine these districts collectively. A total of 23 Kansas House districts were decided by less than 10% in either 2024 or 2022. There are 125 seats in the Kansas House. Therefore, 18.4% of Kansas House districts are potentially competitive. This map shows the counties with potentially competitive Kansas House districts. A full county map of Kansas, with county names, appears later in this article. 12 of these potentially competitive districts are located entirely in Johnson County. One is split between Johnson and Douglas counties. Three of these potentially competitive districts are located in Sedgwick County, which contains Wichita. One district is split between Sedgwick and Butler counties. Two of these potentially competitive districts are located in Shawnee County, which contains Topeka. The remaining 4 districts are located in Reno, Riley, Leavenworth, and Wyandotte counties. Reno County contains Hutchinson. Riley County contains Manhattan. Leavenworth County contains Leavenworth. Wyandotte County contains Kansas City, Kansas. A county map of Kansas. I discussed six Democrats running in competitive races for the Kansas Legislature in an article I published in June. If you would like to help break the Republican Supermajority in the Kansas Legislature, you can donate to Sunflower Democrats. If you would like to help Democrats win competitive US Senate and Governor’s Races, nationwide, you can donate to the Democratic Victory Fund. I have been tracking competitive elections for the Kansas Legislature for several years. This article is the culmination of a lot of hard work, across many spreadsheets. If you found this article useful, consider supporting my work on Patreon.

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MLA under scrutiny after reading AI-written speech in New Brunswick Legislature | CBC News

A Progressive Conservative MLA has confirmed he used artificial intelligence to prepare a speech he read — complete with AI prompts — in the New Brunswick Legislature.

en.killbait.com

Progressive Conservative MLA Uses AI for Speech in New Brunswick Legislature

A Progressive Conservative MLA in New Brunswick, Bill Oliver, has confirmed he used artificial intelligence to prepare a speech delivered in the legislature. The speech, which included AI-generated prompts, sparked controversy after clips of its 'robotic' phrasing were shared online. Oliver admitted to using AI for speaking notes during a debate on creating an energy advocate position, though he emphasized his own thoughts were the core of the speech. Reactions from political parties were mixed: the PC caucus is developing an AI policy, while the Liberal caucus has no such guidelines. Green MLAs criticized the use of AI, arguing it undermines legislative authenticity and public trust. Experts warn of the need for responsible AI use, especially in government, highlighting the rapid evolution of the technology. The incident has ignited debates about transparency, accountability, and the role of AI in political discourse.