Editing Kansas (section)

==Political culture==
Since the 1930s, Kansas has remained one of the most socially conservative states in the nation. The 1990s brought the defeat of prominent Democrats, including [[Dan Glickman]], and the [[Kansas State Board of Education]]'s 1999 decision to eliminate [[evolution]] from the state teaching standards, a decision that was later reversed.<ref>{{cite web |work=Los Angeles Times |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/923599751.html?dids=923599751:923599751&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+9%2C+2005&author=Nicholas+Riccardi&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.14&desc=THE+NATION |title=Vote by Kansas School Board Favors Evolution's Doubters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203080554/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/923599751.html?dids=923599751:923599751&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+9%2C+2005&author=Nicholas+Riccardi&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=A.14&desc=THE+NATION |archive-date=February 3, 2013 }}</ref> In 2005, voters accepted a constitutional amendment to ban [[same-sex marriage]]. The next year, the state passed a law setting a minimum age for marriage at 15 years.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.foxnews.com/story/kansas-lawmakers-set-minimum-marriage-age-to-15 |title = Kansas Lawmakers Set Minimum Marriage Age to 15 |publisher = Fox News |date = May 5, 2006 |access-date = March 10, 2021 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121119133502/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,194398,00.html |archive-date = November 19, 2012}}</ref> Kansas's path to a solid Republican state has been examined by journalist and historian [[Thomas Frank]] in his 2004 book ''[[What's the Matter with Kansas? (book)|What's the Matter with Kansas?]]''.

=== 19th-century state politics ===
Kansas was founded as a free-state by anti-slavery advocates from New England. During its early history, it faced political turmoil from politicians trying to sway the newly founded state towards pro-slavery or pro-abolition sentiment. Ultimately, upon achieving statehood in 1861, Kansas became a Republican stronghold due to the Republican party's establishment as the anti-slavery party. The state's first officials, including Governor Charles Robinson and Senators James Lane and Samuel Pomeroy, were Republicans. From 1861 to 1888, Republicans dominated Kansas politics, winning the majority of congressional and gubernatorial races. This era saw the implementation of progressive policies, including the adoption of prohibition in 1881 and early support for women's suffrage.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles Robinson - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society |url=https://www.kansashistory.gov:443/kansapedia/charles-robinson/12205%E2%80%8B:contentReference |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.kansashistory.gov}}</ref>

Starting in 1887 Kansas women could vote in city elections and [[List of first women mayors in the United States#Kansas|hold certain offices]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Society |first=Kansas State Historical |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QJJFAQAAMAAJ&q=%22women+the+right+to+vote%22&pg=PA400 |title=Collections of the Kansas State Historical Society |date=1912 |language=en}}</ref>

In the 1890 elections, Populists secured a majority in the state legislature and elected a U.S. Senator. However, internal divisions and strategic counteractions by Republicans led to the movement's decline by the late 1890s.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Populism, Its Rise and Fall |url=https://kansaspress.ku.edu/9780700605095/%E2%80%8B:contentReference/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=University Press of Kansas |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== 20th-century state politics ===
Kansas was the first state to institute a system of [[workers' compensation]] (1910) and to regulate the [[Security (finance)|securities]] industry (1911). Kansas also permitted [[women's suffrage]] in 1912, almost a decade before the federal constitution was amended to require it.<ref>* {{cite book |last1=Scott |first1=Anne Firor |last2=Scott |first2=Andrew MacKay |year=1982 |title=One Half the People: The Fight for Woman Suffrage |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-01005-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=opBMJGm4jc8C |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=opBMJGm4jc8C&pg=PA166 166]}}</ref> Suffrage in all states would not be guaranteed until ratification of the [[Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution|19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution]] in 1920.

The [[council–manager government]] model was adopted by many larger Kansas cities in the years following World War I while many American cities were being run by [[political machine]]s or [[organized crime]], notably the [[Tom Pendergast|Pendergast Machine]] in neighboring [[Kansas City, Missouri]]. Kansas was also at the center of ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]] of [[Topeka, Kansas|Topeka]]'', a 1954 Supreme Court decision that banned racially segregated schools throughout the U.S., though, infamously, many Kansas residents opposed the decision, and it led to protests in Topeka after the verdict.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ncpedia.org/civil-rights-movement/brown-v-board-of-education |title=Civil Rights Movement |work=NCpedia |access-date=August 20, 2021 |archive-date=July 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726225232/https://www.ncpedia.org/civil-rights-movement/brown-v-board-of-education |url-status=live }}</ref>

The state backed Republican Presidential Candidates [[Wendell Willkie]] and [[Thomas E. Dewey]] in [[1940 United States presidential election in Kansas|1940]] and [[1944 United States presidential election in Kansas|1944]], respectively, breaking ranks with the majority of the country in the election of [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. Kansas also supported Dewey in [[1948 United States presidential election in Kansas|1948]] despite the presence of incumbent president [[Harry S. Truman]], who hailed from [[Independence, Missouri]], approximately {{convert|15|mi|km}} east of the Kansas–Missouri state line. After Roosevelt carried Kansas in [[1936 United States presidential election in Kansas|1936]], only one Democrat has won the state since, [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in [[1964 United States presidential election in Kansas|1964]].

=== 21st-century state politics ===
{| class="wikitable floatright"
|+ Voter registration as of February 2025<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 3, 2025 |title=Kansas Secretary of State {{!}} Elections {{!}} Elections Statistics Data |url=https://sos.ks.gov/elections/election-statistics-data.html |website=Kansas Secretary of State}}</ref>
|-
! colspan = 2 | Party
! Number of voters
! Percentage
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 903,987
| style="text-align:center;"| 45.19%
|-
| {{party color cell|Other Party (United States)}}
| [[Independent politician (United States)|Unaffiliated]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 564,044
| style="text-align:center;"| 28.19%
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 503,462
| style="text-align:center;"| 25.17%
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| style="text-align:center;"| 23,861
| style="text-align:center;"| 1.19%
|-
| 
| No Labels Kansas
| style="text-align:center;"| 4,544
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.23%
|-
|
| United Kansas
| style="text-align:center;"| 697
| style="text-align:center;"| 0.03%
|-
| ! colspan = 2 | Total
! style="text-align:center;"| 2,000,595
! style="text-align:center;"| 100.00%
|}

In 2008, Democrat Governor [[Kathleen Sebelius]] vetoed permits for the construction of new coal-fired energy plants in Kansas, saying: "We know that greenhouse gases contribute to climate change. As an agricultural state, Kansas is particularly vulnerable. Therefore, reducing pollutants benefits our state not only in the short term—but also for generations of Kansans to come."<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008/2008-03-21-01.asp |title = Kansas Governor Rejects Two Coal-Fired Power Plants |publisher = Ens-newswire.com |date = March 21, 2008 |access-date = July 31, 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110202000925/http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2008/2008-03-21-01.asp |archive-date = February 2, 2011}}</ref> However, shortly after Mark Parkinson became governor in 2009 upon Sebelius's resignation to become Secretary of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Parkinson announced a compromise plan to allow construction of a coal-fired plant.

In 2010, Republican [[Sam Brownback]] was elected governor with 63 percent of the state vote. He was sworn in as governor in 2011, Kansas's first Republican governor in eight years. Brownback had established himself as a conservative member of the U.S. Senate in years prior, but made several controversial decisions after becoming governor, leading to a 23% approval rating among registered voters – the lowest of any governor in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |title = Here Are America's Least (and Most) Popular Governors |url = https://morningconsult.com/governor-approval-rankings-september-2016/ |website = MorningConsultant.com |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220232820/https://morningconsult.com/governor-approval-rankings-september-2016/ |archive-date = December 20, 2016}}</ref> In May 2011, much to the opposition of art leaders and enthusiasts in the state, Brownback eliminated the Kansas Arts Commission, making Kansas the first state without an arts agency.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/05/kansas-governor-eliminates-states-arts-funding.html |title = Kansas governor eliminates state's art funding |website = Los Angeles Times |date = May 31, 2011 |access-date = October 12, 2011 |page = m |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110917083221/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/05/kansas-governor-eliminates-states-arts-funding.html |archive-date = September 17, 2011}}</ref> In July 2011, Brownback announced plans to close the Lawrence branch of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services as a cost-saving measure. Hundreds rallied against the decision.<ref>{{cite web |last = Hittle |first = Shaun |url = http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/jul/16/hundreds-rally-against-closing-srs-office/ |title = Hundreds rally against closing SRS office |publisher = ljworld.com |date = July 16, 2011 |access-date = October 12, 2011 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110722035045/http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/jul/16/hundreds-rally-against-closing-srs-office/ |archive-date = July 22, 2011}}</ref> Lawrence City Commission later voted to provide the funding needed to keep the branch open.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/aug/09/lawrence-city-commission-approves-funding-srs-offi/ |title = Lawrence City Commission approves funding for SRS office |publisher = ljworld.com |date = August 9, 2011 |access-date = October 12, 2011 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120324012049/http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/aug/09/lawrence-city-commission-approves-funding-srs-offi/ |archive-date = March 24, 2012}}</ref>

Democrat [[Laura Kelly]] defeated former Secretary of State of Kansas [[Kris Kobach]] in the [[2018 Kansas gubernatorial election|2018 election for Governor]] with 48.0% of the vote.<ref name="NYT Laura Kelly">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Mitch |title=Laura Kelly, a Kansas Democrat, Tops Kobach in Governor's Race |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/06/us/laura-kelly-wins-kansas-governors-race.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220103/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/06/us/laura-kelly-wins-kansas-governors-race.html |archive-date=January 3, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |access-date=April 29, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=November 6, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="Wichita Eagle Laura Kelly">{{cite news |last1=Shorman |first1=Jonathan |last2=Woodall |first2=Hunter |title=Democrat Laura Kelly defeats Kris Kobach to become Kansas' next governor |url=https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article221168580.html |access-date=April 29, 2020 |work=The Wichita Eagle |publisher=Material |date=November 8, 2018 |archive-date=May 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508003946/https://www.kansas.com/news/politics-government/election/article221168580.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In August 2022, Kansas voters rejected the controversial [[2022 Kansas Value Them Both Amendment|Value Them Both Amendment]], which would have eliminated the right to an abortion in the state constitution. The vote was the first referendum on abortion since [[Roe v. Wade]] was overturned earlier that summer, and the result was hailed as a landmark victory for pro-choice advocates in the traditionally socially conservative state.<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 3, 2022 |title=Kansas abortion vote: Major victory for pro-choice groups |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62402625 |access-date=2022-10-30 |archive-date=October 30, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221030164631/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-62402625 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In a 2020 study, Kansas was ranked as the 13th hardest state for citizens to vote in.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=J. Pomante II |first1=Michael |last2=Li |first2=Quan |title=Cost of Voting in the American States: 2020 |journal=Election Law Journal: Rules, Politics, and Policy |date=December 15, 2020 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=503–509 |doi=10.1089/elj.2020.0666 |s2cid=225139517 |doi-access=free  | issn = 1533-1296 }}</ref>

===National politics===
{{See also|United States congressional delegations from Kansas|United States presidential elections in Kansas}}
[[File:Charles Curtis-portrait.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Charles Curtis]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]]) was born near Topeka and served as a State Legislator, Congressman and Senator, before becoming Vice President (1929–33). He is the only Native American elected to the Executive Branch (he was born into the [[Kaw Nation]]).]]
[[File:United States presidential election in Kansas, 2016.svg|thumb|upright=1.35]]

The state's current delegation to the [[Congress of the United States]] includes [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Senators [[Jerry Moran]] of [[Manhattan, Kansas|Manhattan]], and [[Roger Marshall]] of [[Great Bend, Kansas|Great Bend]]. In the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], Kansas is represented by Republican Representatives [[Tracey Mann]] of [[Quinter, Kansas|Quinter]] ([[1st Congressional District of Kansas|District 1]]), [[Jake LaTurner]] of [[Pittsburg, Kansas|Pittsburg]] ([[2nd Congressional District of Kansas|District 2]]), [[Ron Estes]] of [[Wichita, Kansas|Wichita]] ([[4th Congressional District of Kansas|District 4]]), and Democratic Representative [[Sharice Davids]] of [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]] ([[3rd Congressional District of Kansas|District 3]]) Davids is the second Native American to represent Kansas in Congress, after Republican [[Charles Curtis]] ([[Kaw people|Kaw]]).

Historically, Kansas has been strongly Republican, dating from the [[Antebellum era|Antebellum]] age when the Republican Party was created out of the movement opposing the extension of slavery into Kansas Territory. Kansas has not elected a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] to the U.S. Senate since the 1932 election, when [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] won his first term as president in the wake of the [[Great Depression]]. This is the longest Senate losing streak for either party in a single state. Senator [[Sam Brownback]] was a candidate for the Republican party nomination for president in 2008. Brownback was not a candidate for re-election to a third full term in 2010, but he was elected Governor in that year's general election. Moran defeated Tiahrt for the Republican nomination for Brownback's seat in the August 2010 primary, then won a landslide general election victory over Democrat Lisa Johnston.

The only non-Republican presidential candidates Kansas has given its electoral vote to are Populist [[James Baird Weaver|James Weaver]] and Democrats [[William Jennings Bryan]] (once), [[Woodrow Wilson]], Franklin Roosevelt (twice), and [[Lyndon B. Johnson|Lyndon Johnson]]. In 2004, [[George W. Bush]] won the state's six electoral votes by an overwhelming margin of 25 percentage points with 62% of the vote. The only two counties to support Democrat [[John Kerry]] in that election were [[Wyandotte County, Kansas|Wyandotte]], which contains [[Kansas City, Kansas|Kansas City]], and [[Douglas County, Kansas|Douglas]], home to the [[University of Kansas]], located in [[Lawrence, Kansas|Lawrence]]. The 2008 election brought similar results as [[John McCain]] won the state with 57% of the votes. Douglas, Wyandotte, and [[Crawford County, Kansas|Crawford County]] were the only counties in support of President [[Barack Obama]].<ref>{{cite news |url = http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapPKS |title = 2008 Election Results—Kansas |publisher = CNN |access-date = July 31, 2010 |url-status = live |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081107105721/http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/individual/#mapPKS |archive-date = November 7, 2008}}</ref>

Abilene was the boyhood home to Republican president [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], and he maintained lifelong ties to family and friends there. Kansas was the adult home of two losing Republican candidates (Governor [[Alf Landon]] in [[1936 United States presidential election|1936]] and Senator Bob Dole in [[1996 United States presidential election|1996]]).

The ''New York Times'' reported in September 2014 that as the Democratic candidate for Senator has tried to drop out of the race, independent [[Greg Orman]] has attracted enough bipartisan support to seriously challenge the reelection bid of Republican Pat Roberts:
:Kansas politics have been roiled in recent years. The rise of the Tea Party and the election of President Obama have prompted Republicans to embrace a purer brand of conservatism and purge what had long been a robust moderate wing from its ranks. Mr. Roberts has sought to adapt to this new era, voting against spending bills that included projects for the state that he had sought.<ref>Jonathan Martin, "National G.O.P. Moves to Take Over Campaign of Kansas Senator", [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/us/politics/national-gop-moves-to-take-over-campaign-of-kansas-senator.html?emc=edit_cn_20140904&nl=us&nlid=8258846&_r=0 ''New York Times'' September 4, 2014] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911161717/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/05/us/politics/national-gop-moves-to-take-over-campaign-of-kansas-senator.html?emc=edit_cn_20140904&nl=us&nlid=8258846&_r=0 |date=September 11, 2017 }}</ref>

===State laws===
{{See also|Alcohol laws of Kansas}}

The [[legal drinking age]] in Kansas is 21. In lieu of the state retail sales tax, a 10% Liquor Drink Tax is collected for liquor consumed on the licensed premises and an 8% Liquor Enforcement Tax is collected on retail purchases. Although the sale of cereal [[malt beverage]] (also known as [[3.2 beer]]) was legalized in 1937, the first post-[[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] legalization of alcoholic liquor did not occur until the [[Kansas Constitution|state's constitution]] was amended in 1948. The following year the [[Kansas Legislature|Legislature]] enacted the Liquor Control Act which created a system of regulating, licensing, and taxing, and the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) was created to enforce the act. The power to regulate cereal malt beverage remains with the cities and counties. Liquor-by-the-drink did not become legal until passage of an amendment to the state's constitution in 1986 and additional legislation the following year. As of November 2006, Kansas still has 29 [[dry county|dry counties]] and only 17 counties have passed liquor-by-the-drink with no food sales requirement.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcsupplierinfo.htm |title = Liquor Licensee and Supplier Information |publisher = Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue |access-date = January 18, 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061208194850/http://www.ksrevenue.org/abcsupplierinfo.htm |archive-date = December 8, 2006 }}</ref> Today there are more than 2,600 liquor and 4,000 cereal malt beverage licensees in the state.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.ksrevenue.org/abchistory.htm |title = History of Alcoholic Beverages in Kansas |publisher = Alcoholic Beverage Control, Kansas Department of Revenue |year = 2000 |access-date = January 18, 2007 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070117070410/http://www.ksrevenue.org/abchistory.htm |archive-date = January 17, 2007 }}</ref>

On May 12, 2022, Gov. Laura Kelly signed legislation (Senate Bill 84) that legalizes sports betting in the state, making Kansas the 35th state to approve sports wagering in the US. This would give the four state-owned casinos the right to partner with online bookmakers and up to 50 retailers, including gas stations and restaurants, to engage in sports betting.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Kansas Legalizes Online and Retail Sports Wagering |url=https://www.casinoreviews.net/news/kansas-becomes-35th-state-to-legalize-sports-betting/ |access-date=May 18, 2022 |website=casinoreviews.net |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516141839/https://www.casinoreviews.net/news/kansas-becomes-35th-state-to-legalize-sports-betting/ |url-status=live }}</ref>