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Ideological Shift in the Kansas Legislature Could Affect Leadership in the House, Senate

The Kansas House chamber. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)
The Kansas House chamber. (Photo by Stephen Koranda)

The ideological makeup of the Kansas Legislature will be significantly different next year. That’s because moderate-leaning Republicans defeated multiple conservative incumbent lawmakers in Tuesday's primary elections.

Both the House and Senate currently have conservative leadership. Emporia State University Political Science Professor Michael Smith says that could change next year.


“When you have a body-wide vote, for example for speaker or Senate president, you’ve got the potential for the Democrats to caucus with the mods and throw their votes in together to pick somebody,” says Smith.

 

That could also hinge on what happens in the fall election.

 

It appears at least a dozen conservative lawmakers lost to moderate challengers in the primary election.

 

Stephen Koranda has more on the story.


Stephen Koranda is KPR's Statehouse reporter.