Topeka — Color Kansas purple.
In the battle between Republican red states and Democratic blue states, voters on Tuesday gave historically red Kansas a blue tinge.
Democrats Kathleen Sebelius easily won a second term as governor, Paul Morrison swamped conservative Republican Atty. Gen. Phill Kline, and Nancy Boyda upset a five-term incumbent GOP congressman who had received campaign help from President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Democrats also made gains in the Kansas House.
At a news conference Wednesday, Sebelius said the winners tackled issues important to voters.
"It's important not to be red and blue states any longer, but really focus on issues that connect with citizens across this country," Sebelius said.
Meanwhile, Republicans searched for a silver lining.
Ron Freeman, executive director of the Kansas Republican Party, noted that three lower-profile statewide GOP candidates received more votes than Sebelius.
"I think it is clear that Kansas is still a red state," Freeman said. "In a year when every external factor favored the Democrats, Republicans still were the top vote-getters."
Democratic disadvantage
Of the state's 1.66 million registered voters, 47 percent are Republican, 27 percent are unaffiliated and 26 percent are Democrat.
But even with that disadvantage in registered voters, Democrats won significant victories by luring moderate Republicans and independents.
Interactive Election 2006 Results
Reader poll
"I give them credit for winning," said Tim Shallenburger, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party. "I'm not trying to make excuses. (National Democratic Party Chairman) Howard Dean said he would focus on states like Kansas, and the Republican National Committee didn't."
Shallenburger said the war in Iraq hurt Republicans in congressional races, while in Kansas conservatives took a beating.
"Something I've been saying, if you are on the fringe on the left or fringe on the right, you have trouble winning," he said.
Shallenburger declined to say whether he would seek to remain state party chairman, saying he would make an announcement later in the month.
Sebelius, who defeated Shallenburger in the governor's race in 2002, said on the national level, voters were dissatisfied with Congress while supporting what was happening in state government.
"Voters really made some very specific choices about what was happening at the state or local level and what was happening nationally," she said.
She said she hoped the new Democratic majority in the U.S. House would note how governors like herself work across party lines.
What's on tap
While assessing the political landscape, officials also were planning their agendas for the next year.
Sebelius said health care, education and the economy will take top priority during her second term.
During her news conference, Sebelius also said she would not increase taxes, and planned to fulfill her four-year term.
On health care, Sebelius said, "I am very anxious to put that right back on the table."
On public school education, Sebelius said she would seek to increase early childhood education and all-day kindergarten.
She also said she wants to work on higher education "which has kind of been a little bit on the back burner while we focused on K-12."
"It's clear that Kansas kids need post-secondary degrees. We need to make it easier for kids to attend college, we need to look at vocational education."
On the economy, Sebelius said rural development, alternative energy and management of water resources will be key.
Abortion fight
Morrison said he intended to revamp the attorney general's office to focus on helping victims and stopping violent crime and consumer fraud.
He said he hoped Kline would not file any charges related to the abortion records in Kline's possession.
More election coverage
- 6News video: Voters voice need for change through election results
- 6News video: Douglas County's voting results delayed
- 6News video: Former AG Kline offers transition help to Morrison
- 6News video: Kids turn out in high number to vote
- Democrats dominate (11-08-06)
- Morrison vows focus on crime (11-08-06)
- Governor claims 'vote for progress' (11-08-06)
- Rep. Moore easily wins fifth term to 3rd District (11-08-06)
- Local voters reflect on power shift, voting process (11-08-06)
- See all stories about Election 2006
Kline, an ardent opponent of abortion, has the records of 90 women and girls, saying he is investigating allegations of child rape and illegal late-term abortions.
The clinics have said Kline has been on a fishing expedition, while Morrison charged during the campaign that Kline's probe was an abuse of power and invasion of privacy.
When asked what he would do with the investigation when he takes office in January, Morrison said: "That is an open case now, and I have an obligation to look at all open cases up there, which we will do, and we'll do that quickly. We will give that the attention that deserves. Whether that's a lot or a little remains to be seen."
The clinics have asked the Kansas Supreme Court to take possession of the records because they allege information from the records has been leaked.
Morrison said that would be OK with him.
"For the short term, it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to have some third party that is truly neutral to look at those things," Morrison said.
Morrison also said he intended to revamp the attorney general's office.
"There's a lot to be done," he said.
He said Bryan Brown, a former anti-abortion protester and head of the attorney general's consumer affairs division "won't be heading the unit."
Comments
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cog_nate (Nate Poell) says…
This article makes me want to puce.
road_to_nowhere (anonymous) says…
The senate, the house, no more Phill, could it have been any better?
xenophonschild (anonymous) says…
It's a grand time to be a Democrat . . . but there is a lot of grueling work to be done to redress the mistakes and incompetence of outgoing conservatives.
The stupidities of the state BOE have to be revisited and corrected. An effective, efficient water policy that will spare the Ogalalla acquifer from extinction while keeping farmers from ruin has to be devised. Health care for working families should be a priority for everybody; just because Joe Six-Pack doesn't make $30,000 a year in Kansas shouldn't mean that he can't afford it when his kids need to go to the doctor or hospital.
The national scene is similarly cluttered with challenges. "Pay-as-you-go" needs to be re-instituted immediately to insure fiscal solvency and redress the budgetary excesses of the last six years.
We need to accept the bitter reality that we are not going to enjoy a strangehold on Iraqi oil. That was a pipedream of the Bush/Cheney crowd that was never based in reality anyway. Get our people out of Iraq, let the Iraqis kill each other until a clear winner emerges (Iran), and then deal with that reality.
Our status in the world is going to be downgraded, not quite as lofty as before. Democrats are going to have to work hard to shore up our position, to remind the world of who and what we truly are, and that the last twelve years has been largely a mistake in politico-religious excess.
ebbenji (Eric Beightel) says…
Completely unrelated to politics, this article made me think of K-State and THAT made me want to puke...
Souki (anonymous) says…
cog_nate:
That's the funniest thing I've read all week.
Puce. Ha.
Thanks for the laugh.
jayhawks71 (anonymous) says…
Purple is icky. Red and blue can exist together without being mixed into that awful color. Purple is the color of a bruise, is that what Kansas wants to be seen as, a bruise?
How about a blue state with KANSAS written in red, along with a red border?
chsn3boys (anonymous) says…
ebbebji- I agree....Can't put that nasty color of purple & Kansas together w/o thinking of k-state.....
jayhawks71- I like that idea much much better then what they did... Ya no one should every color Kansas purple- thats the worst color that was ever made up!
roger_o_thornhill (anonymous) says…
What a silly headline. Where's the rest of the pop-culture references? The Color Purple? Purple Haze? Purple Rain? That's it; The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Prince-Who Is Currently Known As Prince can run for governor in 2010.
srj (anonymous) says…
Someone asked on KCTV 5 if Kansas could possibly vote democratic for president in 2008. The answer was pretty much probally not, unless it was Hilary, then heck no.
It does worry me about Borda in 2008. Instead of Sebelius over the name of Borda on the ballot, it might be Clinton. And 6-8 years from now, that district is probally gone.
Don't get me wrong, I think Clinton will win an election. Looking at states that went for Bush in 2004. Ohio, Indiana and Arizona had many republican losses this week. Ohio is a mess, so that state is almost a slam dunk now for any democrat.
biggunz (anonymous) says…
purple? don't think so.
centralcalifhawk (anonymous) says…
Recent success notwithstanding by the Democrats, I too believe as a whole, Kansas is a "red" state. However, I don't think that it is that unusual, for Democrats to have success in Kansas (although the national media has made a big deal out of this.) Frankly, I think it is just lazy analysis.
The past is filled with a trail of Democrats who have successfully been elected to statewide office and/or Congressional districts. John Carlin, Joan Finney, the Docking family, Jim Slattery, Dan Glickman. Is it now a trend with the success of Gov. Sebelius and Paul Morrison that somehow Kansas is going, "purple?" Is the fact that North Dakota has a solidly Democrat Congressional delegation (Conrad, Dorgan, Pomeroy), mean that it will vote for Democrats in a Presidential election? History would say no. As would the fact, until Tuesday's election, Massachusetts had a Republican governor 16 years and New York had one for 12 years, yet I don't think anyone would suggest that those states were turning "red."
webmocker (anonymous) says…
Morrison and Boyda are moderate Republicans who took the Democratic label in order to win office in a year that being Republican had become a liability. Their views are moderate Republican views, and they will, most likely, act like moderate Republicans in office.
DBAWalt (anonymous) says…
Democrats claim people voted FOR them, when I think people were voting against the Republicans.
They did not win because people thought them the best choice possible, they won because they were the best (or even just the most familure) choice of those available.
i did not feel the incumbent position holders were addressing my needs, so I voted against them whenever there was someone running against them. My thinking was that I KNOW the current officeholder isn't doing what I think should be done so I can't vote FOR them. What are my remaining choices...?
ksmoderate (anonymous) says…
All: "I don't know, rightthinker, what IS the difference between pink and purple?"
b_asinbeer (anonymous) says…
Bowhunter--
Kansas Pharmacist Association and the hard-working pharmacists have nothing to do with drug prices and the "HUGE premium" you're talking about. It's the drug companies that set the prices, not the pharmacists or KPA.
Get your facts straight. :o)
ksmoderate (anonymous) says…
(scratching head)
werekoala (anonymous) says…
You know, I actually agree with people who say, "Where's the outrage?" when referring to moderate Muslim and Christians when they watch the actions of extremists.
With that in mind, as someone who was exceedingly happy with the election results, I have to ask you politely, logrithmic, to put down the crazy and stop being divisive.
People who turn the names of political opponents into schoolyard insults generally come off as being just as immature as a schoolchild, and unable to carry on a polite adult conversation.
Impeachment? With all due respect, are you retarded? This is what I'm afraid of, that just as the radical right took their election victories as a mandate to pursue their extremist agenda, the radical left is going to do the same. Look, if shady stuff has gone on, I'm all in favor of investigating. But a desire to impreach before all the facts are in smacks of desire for witch-hunting, not justice.
And what this poor country needs more than ever is leaders soberly and calmly prepared to roll up their sleeves and get to the serious work that needs to be done. It most definately does NOT need partisan bickering.
In short, it's sweat-of-the-brow time, not pitchforks-and-torches time. Please, as someone who loves and agrees with you, please stop.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Oh, puhleeeease, all you Republicans calling for "unity" now that you've lost.
GW immediately sucking up to Pelosi.
GW immediately dodging bullets by firing Rumsfeld (or should that be "asking him to resign" ..)
C'mon ...
I do agree however, that this was very mucn an anti-Republican result rather than an endorsement for the Democrats.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
If the Dems are smart, they'll hold on to that advantage and make some SMART and cautious moves over the next two years.
But they won't.
They'll come out firing, screw this thing up and lose in 2008, and it will serve them right.
I would probably vote for a moderate, either way.
nbnozzy (anonymous) says…
"It's important not to be red and blue states any longer, but really focus on issues that connect with citizens across this country," Sebelius said.
Folks, this is what it should be about. She made a very profound statement. Let Kansans take the lead and show the rest of the country how to co-exist with the "enemy" and agree to disagree and be civil towards each other.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Careful logarithmic ... remember, you are now reading slightly-Left-leaning stuff and taking it for granted.
You must be just as vigilant against the Left as you are now against the Right.
A poll taken in New York City certainly does NOT speak for people in Kansas, California or Hawaii.
Remember that even people you agree with, will use what they want, to prove a point.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Demonstrated perfectly ...
EXks (anonymous) says…
"True Conservatives believe in very limited government"
You should congratulate those TRUE conservatives who voted against a same sex marriage ban in Arizona (home of Barry Goldwater)
and conservatives voted against a ban on ALL abortions in South Dakota. These states aren't exactly hotbeds of liberalism, but rather these folks believe that government should keep its nose OUT of American's private lives!!
This is the definition of a TRUE conservative!
Centrist (anonymous) says…
EXks ... true conservatives used to be environmentalists, too. But that somehow got hijacked.
werekoala (anonymous) says…
"Conservative" USED to mean, "Someone against change, in favor of keeping things as they have been."
So in terms of the environment, it would be very possible to support the idea that we should conserve the natural beauty of our land in order to pass it on unchanged to our children.
Think Teddy Roosevelt.
I'm not saying that this is the current conservative position, just that it's not impossible. No more than the idea of a powerful religious left, focusing on the social justice teachings of Jesus.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
In the old days, a conservative was someone who would "waste not, want not". This extended into environment concerns.
The original conservatives were people who were careful with resources.
And yes, the earliest conservatives were 'green'.
It wasn't until the rise of Big Business that those ideals were lost, and taken over by "progressives".
Progressives used to be those who wanted things to move forward at any cost, including the earth.
Weird how things have changed.
Seems like a bit of an oxymoron if you ask me.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
... and that's why political parties are pointless.
I've said it before, and I will again. Every single voter should declare themselves "independent" and vote according to the best candidate for local concerns.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
werekoala ... have you read theories about the Religious Left?
Fascinating stuff ...
Centrist (anonymous) says…
The things is ... the further you go to the Right, the closer to Left you become, and vice versa ...
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Well, Chaffee's gone now .. :)
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Other way around, Mr Collusion ..
It's the Right who label people "liberals" and pour hate upon them!
Centrist (anonymous) says…
The word "liberal" wasn't a dirty word until politically used.
In fact, 18th Century liberalism meant something totally different. It was the opposite, all about the "free hand of the market" and personal freedoms.
That's where the Liberal Party in Australia got its name, from the original meaning of the word. They are a conservative party, just like the Republicans.
The word "liberal" was hijacked and used against progressives.
Centrist (anonymous) says…
Whatever
Centrist (anonymous) says…
conversation killer Right there ..
Shardwurm (anonymous) says…
To those of you who disdain purple here's a short quiz:
1. Name the only Division I football program in the state that is bowl-eligible after 10 games this season.
2. Name the only Division I football program in the state that has never gone to a bowl game in consecutive years.
3. Name the Division I basketball program in the state that has the number 1 rated recruiting class for 2007.
As far as all this politics stuff - whatever. Same thing different day. Will be fun to watch the Demos back-peddling when they find out they can't fill their campaign promises.
BunE (anonymous) says…
Liberals don't really hate GW Bush, they feel pity for him.
You see, he was once a child, full of promise and life. Then he got mediocre grades and still went to the finest colleges with the influence of his daddy. After a brief stint in the Air National Guard (where his daddy's connections allowed him to move about as needed for his daddy's and daddy's buddies' elections) during the Vietnam era, he got into the oil business where he promptly went broke despite his access to his daddy's buddies' capital and opportunity. During this time he sniffed some coke and partied like a rock star-all on his own. Then his daddy's connections got him some folding money to invest in the Rangers where he promptly traded a certain steroid popping ball player to the cubs in an example of his fine judgement. Getting the chance to sell out, he set his sights on politics. Ahh Texas. He got to kill people he mocked. He got to say things like "don't mess with texas" and mean it. All with his daddys' buddies helping out. Then, he got to be president where he managed to get our country bombed, in some wars and in a lot of debt. But his daddy's buddies are doing great!
Liberals pity him because he was never allowed to keep following his dream. The only thing he did truly for himself.
Sniff coke and party like a Rock Star.
Poor George.
KStater (Kristen Murphy) says…
Go K-State! Oh wait....Politics....
BunE (anonymous) says…
Nothing is so irrational as the the demonization of the left in America. Except maybe the blind devotion of the right to the free market myth.
ksmoderate (anonymous) says…
"Get ready for God's Wrath."
Any suggestions?
EXks (anonymous) says…
Disdain is a better noun or verb, depending on the context on which it is used in describing Dubya.
For those of us who disdain Mr. Bush, we don't have to justify our reasons...you've heard them all on Faux News or Rush Limpbaugh.
As for Clinton, he has his faults, made mistakes and admitted them, unlike Mr. Bush.
Clinton can visit any country in the world, but when Mr. Bush visits, mass chaos reigns, and thousands protests. Doubt you Bush loyalist have you visited our allies (Canada, Great Britian, Spain, France, etc.) recently, but if you do, I DARE you to wear a I voted for Dubya pin.
ksmoderate (anonymous) says…
RT: "If Dems had free reign, unchecked, the market would be alot less "free"."
Like logrithmic says:
"Wall Street conservatives - the ones who want government "off the back" of businesses, which, simply put means the end to any kind of government regulation in the marketplace. What is meant by government regulation? It means regulating the workplace for worker safety, regulating the workplace for violation of existing environmental laws, regulating the products produced for violations of consumer safety laws, and regulating the workplace for consumer and investor fraud (think Enron or any of the recalls forced on industry for shoddy products)."
EXks (anonymous) says…
Ahh the Clinton Chronicles! A video co-financed, publicized and distributed by Jerry Falwell. And we all know what a reliable, truthful, legitimate source Falwell is.
don_burgess (anonymous) says…
http://www.rightwasright.us/
werekoala (anonymous) says…
Wow. Someone referred to the "Clinton Chronicles". It's like talking to Holocaust deniers, Flat-Earthers, or Creationists at this point. Anyone who's so adamantly tied to ideas that so blatantly contradict reality is really beyond help.
Logrithmic, again, I tend to agree with you, but being vindictive isn't going to help much.
Think about it this way: pick the top 10 changes you'd like to see the new Democratic Congress make. Maybe three of them will get enacted. And to see them enacted, you'll have to compromise so much each of them is watered-down by at least half from your original intentions. So that's what you'll get.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see things change faster, but the pendulum only swings so fast, and trying to force it only makes it swing back that much faster.
Would you like to see things go faster? Sure, most people would, one way or another. But sounding off about it, or saying you're an "independent" who only votes for one party, or whatever, only makes you seem shrill.
Does that suck? Kinda, but it's better than blood in the streets.
maxtin (anonymous) says…
Ah reason... It's not exciting... but it's a breath of fresh air... Thank you were-koala...
maxtin (anonymous) says…
Oops... I conceded that I think Creationism is unreasonable... I MUST be a liberal wacko... damn!
ASBESTOS (anonymous) says…
""Get ready for God's Wrath."
Any suggestions?"
I would say Tequlia. That is what I would want before impending disaster, or to steel myself for judgement day.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Mr_Collusion writes:
"True Conservatives believe in very limited government, the original Constitution, Bill of Rights, Law and U.S. Nationalism and most importantly God, Jesus Christ, and the Bible. So somebody explain to me why Liberals hate Bush."
_______________________________________________
Are you suggesting that "True Conservatives" don't believe in religious diversity? The freedom to practice the religion or spirituality of your choice?
Would a "True Conservative" have some other individual or group choose/dictate my religious views?
Thanks...
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
P.S. Tuesday night, voted for 4 "Republicans" and 3 "Democrats"... for what that's worth.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Mr_Collusion:
Say "Hi" to Alamo_Girl for me, next time you're over in Freeperville.
"Clinton Chronicles"... indeed.... roflmao!!!
Agnostick
agnostick@excite.com
xenophonschild (anonymous) says…
BunE:
Thank you. Your post of 11/09/ - 3:27 p.m. was one of the best encapsulations I've read of "poor George."
He's emblematic of everything wrong with our culture. Bet the Clinton haters don't know that, in a drunken rage, he threatened his father in front of their Houston home, first with physical assault, then with a trash can - when he was 24 years old!
William the Great will come to be viewed as one of the best presidents of the 20th century. Shrub will go down as one of the - if not THE - worst presidents ever.