Election 2008
In-depth coverage of the candidates and the issues, all leading up to the Aug. 5 primary and the Nov. 4 general election.
Topeka — Kansas Democrats scored big victories on Election night 2006.
Kathleen Sebelius won a second term as governor, Paul Morrison routed Attorney General Phill Kline, and Nancy Boyda defeated five-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun.
The Dems were coloring a traditionally Republican red state purple and boasting about making it blue.
Put away the crayons.
While the rest of the nation on Tuesday rode another Democratic wave with President-elect Barack Obama, Kansas was firmly back on shore in the red column.
Boyda failed to win re-election, Democratic senatorial hopeful Jim Slattery didn't come close to toppling incumbent U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and Democrats remain vastly outnumbered in the Legislature. While Obama did better in Kansas than recent Democratic presidential candidates, he still trailed Republican John McCain, 57 percent to 41 percent.
"Kansas remains bright red," said Kansas Republican Party executive director Christian Morgan.
Republicans credit a get out the vote effort spearheaded by Roberts' campaign, a message of low taxes, and Sebelius spending a lot of time out-of-state campaigning for Obama.
"Whatever political success she has enjoyed has clearly been very lonely," Morgan said.
Outside money pouring in from the national Republican Party and other pro-GOP groups also played a role in the 2nd congressional district race won by State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins over first-termer Boyda.
Sebelius said Kansas Democrats have trouble in presidential years because Kansans haven't supported a Democrat for the White House since 1964. That hurts Democrats in downballot contests, she said.
"Kansans have a difficult time voting for a Democrat for president," Sebelius said. "I think it's tough when you have a candidate at the top of the ticket who is going to lose in double digits, to then convince people who want to vote one way for president to switch party allegiance. That's always been an uphill climb."
In the legislative races, the Democrats lost one seat in the state Senate and now are outnumbered 9-31, and they gained one seat in the House, and are down 48-77.
State Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, who won re-election as a member of the shrinking Senate Democratic caucus, looked at the party's setbacks philosophically.
"There is always an action and reaction," she said. Maybe Kansas voters expected Obama would become president "and people wanted to make sure there are Republicans for balance," she said.
"It has been a Republican state. I think we now have this opportunity to see how this administration will work," said Francisco, adding that she was confident Obama would be good for Kansas.
Comments
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KEITHMILES05 (anonymous) says…
If the state is so "red" then why didn't it elect a GOP governor? I'll tell you why. It is because the GOP is so divided and messed up. The far right vs. the fiscal people.
notajayhawk (anonymous) says…
>>> Maybe Kansas voters expected Obama would become president "and people wanted to make sure there are Republicans for balance," she said.Uh, okay. Does that even make sense? If that were the case, wouldn't people have voted for Obama (I mean outside of Douglas, Wyandotte, and uh - Crawford County???)?
mike_blur (Mike Blur) says…
What's really strange is that many of the western KS counties, which are 100 percent reliant on Social Security as a source of income, voted for McCain to the tune of 85-15. It simply does not make sense.
dontcallmedan (anonymous) says…
If you're heading west, you had better stock up. Douglas County--the last blue county for 600 miles.
bastet (anonymous) says…
I'm always amazed that the so called "liberals" in Kansas--the ones who tout their inclusivity and openness--are usually the ones who berate, mock and certainly exclude anyone in the state who is Republican, conservative, rural, or from any county west of Shawnee. For many of them, no one who votes Republican can possibly be thoughtful, intelligent, well-educated or interesting. How very liberal of them.
blindrabbit (anonymous) says…
The story should have read: "Kansas Still in Deep Manure". The Republican Party (which formerly had my vote) is a house divided between the right-wing religious zealots, the social idealog conservatives, and the fiscal groups. Not only does this stress the idea envelope of the Party, but many of these groups are counter-productive to each other.Kansas used to be a progressive state (prior to the big switch following the LBJ years). Since then, Kansas has been more closely aligned with a Rebublican Party dominated by the South and Southern ideas. Along with this realignment has come "the dumbing down" anti-intellectual movement that is so typical of that part of the country and the Newt Gingrich andKarl Rove mantras.Many of the ideas bantered by the social conservatives are in-reality NOT to their long term earthly benefit. Of course they have the satisfaction that their holier-than-thou beliefs will carry them through the Rapture and Armageddon.Kansas's real future relies on the return of common sense to the Party and perhaps a return of many of it's past party members. "Many of us did not leave the Party, the Party left us".
ksdivakat (anonymous) says…
madmike.....I am from lawrence and I certainly do not think that way, in fact throughout this campaign I came to the forums here to ask questions about issues I did not understand and wanted to before I went to the polls, and still have questions that they cant answer because they think Im being a smart elec, and im not, Im just curious.However, all I got was a bunch of grief, called uneducated, a POS, and many other various names, all from a certain "group" of bloggers on here. I say this because not everyone from lawrence feels the way that those disrespectful individuals feel, but I agree with you, there are some people who are on here are disrespectful at every turn and have no clue how to play nice......but not all of us!!!
nomansland (anonymous) says…
Madmike, if you hate Lawrence so much then why don't you move away? I never understand people who complain but don't do something about it.
TheOriginalCA (anonymous) says…
All states are mostly red with blue spots. The blue spots are the larger municipalities with the higher black, liberal, and indigent populations. The "Get the red out" propaganda has fallen short of the ultimate goal of a filibuster proof congress. Now it is time to get the spot remover out and remove those scattered blue spots on the red maps.
jayhawklawrence (anonymous) says…
As long as the Republican party is perceived to be more closely aligned with fundamental Christian values, these areas will remain red.Unfortunately, this bias is very hard to change even when faced with an avalanche of evidence to the contrary.The Pro-Choice position of the Democratic Party (leaving the decision up the individual citizen and not the government) has alienated these areas where the politics of the local churches are a strong influence.The Republicans have been living off of this issue for decades and ripping off the little guy every chance they get...Lower wages, higher health care, less benefits, off shoring of jobs, higher education expense, etc. Wherever a decision comes down to the individual vs. the corporation, the individual loses.I wish we could find a way to get this issue out of politics or find a compromise solution.
cthulhu_4_president (anonymous) says…
duplenty: some people aren't happy unless they are miserable. madmike is obviously one of these people. I hope he enjoys every second of his unfounded rage and the ulcers that follow.