Topeka ? Democratic Rep. Dennis Moore’s comfortable re-election victory left him looking more formidable than ever, but trouble still looms in the Republican suburbs of Kansas City.

Many Republicans and even some Democrats thought GOP challenger Kris Kobach’s aggressive campaign meant the spread of votes between the two would be thin. Instead, Moore won his most impressive victory in four races in the 3rd District, with 55 percent of the vote.

Moore now has defeated moderate and conservative candidates alike, and many Republicans have formed the habit of voting for him. Moore seems to have forged a lasting coalition.

However, Republicans still have hopes of defeating Moore because of suburban sprawl in Johnson County, where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by more than 2-1.

“He doesn’t get a break,” said state Sen. David Adkins, a moderate Leawood Republican.

Ongoing tension within the Republican Party has kept Moore in Congress — the fighting between conservatives who oppose tax increases and abortion and moderates who want to increase education spending and support abortion rights.

Results this year suggest many moderates thought Kobach was too conservative. The GOP challenger received 44 percent of the vote.

Some Republicans, particularly conservatives, blamed Moore’s relentless attacks on Kobach as an extremist. But the GOP challenger had solid conservative credentials, having worked for U.S. Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft and having established strong positions against abortion and gay marriage.

Easier said than won

Moore’s margin this year compares with the 50 percent he received in 2002 and 2000 and the 52 percent he captured in unseating incumbent Republican Vince Snowbarger, a conservative, in 1998. The district covers Johnson and Wyandotte counties and part of Douglas County.

Some Republicans contend that defeating Moore is more difficult than it seems, despite the 3rd District’s GOP leanings.

“You either need a moderate with the credibility or backing to spook off a conservative challenge in the primary, or you need somebody above the party split,” said Scott Poor, the state GOP’s executive director. “If you know that person, give me a call.”

One sign Republicans worry they won’t ever find the right candidate is that activists ponder how soon Moore would retire from Congress.

“There’s a lot of speculation that Dennis Moore will be in his last term,” Poor said.

Moore called such talk wishful thinking. He said he hasn’t made any decisions but, “Unless something changes, I most likely will run again.”

Republicans are right to worry about whether they can defeat Moore. His ability to raise ever-increasing amounts of money — more than $2 million for this year’s campaign — means he’ll stay competitive.

Douglas County support

Johnson County provided three-quarters of the votes in the 3rd District race, but Douglas and Wyandotte counties also are important to Moore’s success. In the past, the large margins he has built in those two counties have allowed him to lose Johnson County and still prevail overall.

Finally, some Republicans’ loyalty to Moore goes back nearly three decades. Moore was elected Johnson County district attorney in 1976 and served 12 years, and he won two terms on the Johnson County Community College Board of Trustees during the 1990s.

“Moderate Republicans are comfortable with Dennis Moore,” said Larry Gates, the state Democratic chairman.

Change ahead?

Yet, for all Moore’s advantages, he doesn’t quite seem safe because of Johnson County’s growing population.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Johnson County was the fastest-growing in the state in 2003 and gained about 32,000 new residents in three years. The Census Bureau also estimated that Olathe and Overland Park gained 21,000 residents between them.

That growth is fueling a debate over the politics of the new residents. The number of registered Republicans in Johnson County grew by more than 16,000 from Jan. 1 through late October.

Dwight Sutherland, a conservative GOP activist and Mission Hills attorney, contends the new residents favor the right.

“Time’s on our side,” Sutherland said.