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Kansas Democratic Party
Governor Laura Kelly
Lieutenant Governor David Toland
Senate Leader Dinah Sykes
House Leader Brandon Woodard
Founded July 27, 1855
Headquarters Topeka, KS
Membership (2021) Decrease508,808
Ideology Modern liberalism
Political position Center-left
National affiliation Democratic Party
Colors Blue
U.S. Senate Seats
0 / 2
U.S. House Seats
1 / 4
Statewide Executive Offices
2 / 6
State Senate
11 / 40
State House
40 / 125
Election symbol
Democratic Disc.svg

The Kansas Democratic Party is the main group for the Democratic Party in the state of Kansas. It is one of the two biggest political parties in Kansas, with the other being the Republicans. The current leader of the party is Jeanna Repass.

This party holds the top two jobs in the state government: the governor and lieutenant governor. They also have one person representing Kansas in the U.S. House of Representatives. However, they are currently the smaller party in both parts of the state legislature.

Understanding the Kansas Democratic Party

Since Kansas became a territory, the Kansas Republican Party has usually been in charge. The Kansas Democratic Party started in 1855. At first, they tried to make Kansas a state where slavery was allowed. They wrote a constitution in Lecompton, Kansas. Many people who were against slavery did not agree with this plan. Later, a different constitution was written in Topeka, which was adopted.

The Kansas Democratic Party has not had a U.S. Senator in Washington since 1939. This is the longest time any state party in America has gone without a U.S. Senator. Democrats have only been the main party in the Kansas Senate for four years (1913–1916). They have led the Kansas House of Representatives for six years in total (1913–1914, 1977–1978, and 1990–1991).

Since Kansas became a state, 12 Democratic governors have led the state. Six of these governors were elected after 1961.

How the Party Works in Kansas Politics

After a series of protests in Wichita in the early 2000s, the Kansas Republican Party split into two groups: moderate and conservative. This created a "three-party politics" system in Kansas. The Kansas Democrats often use this split to their advantage. They team up with moderate Republicans and independent voters. This helps them win elections and pass laws. This strategy was very successful in the governor elections of 2002, 2006, 2014, and 2018.

In the, the party faced big losses. They lost every statewide election and 16 seats in the Kansas House. Before this, Democrats had worked with moderate Republicans to control the state senate. But after 2010, conservative Republicans gained more power.

In 2016, the Kansas Democratic Party helped 14 new Democrats get elected to the Kansas Legislature. They also saw many moderate Republicans win their primary elections. This often led to groups of Democrats and moderate Republicans working together in the Kansas House. They worked on issues like expanding healthcare and changing tax laws.

In 2018, Democrat Laura Kelly was elected governor. Also, Sharice Davids was elected to represent the 3rd congressional district. The party gained many supporters in cities and suburbs across the state. They also managed to keep their losses small in the more rural, conservative areas of Kansas.

In the 2020 presidential election, Joe Biden received 42% of the vote in Kansas. This was the best result for a Democratic presidential candidate in Kansas since Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Governor Kelly was re-elected in the 2022 election. Representative Davids was also re-elected in 2020 and 2022. They, along with Lieutenant Governor David Toland, are the only Democrats holding statewide or congressional offices in Kansas.

Washington Days Convention

Since 1895, the Kansas Democratic Party has held an event called the Washington Days convention every year. This event takes place over one weekend in Topeka, the state capital. It includes meetings, dinners, and parties. The event ends with a speech from a special guest speaker.

Many famous Democratic politicians have given the keynote speech at Washington Days. Some of these speakers later ran for President of the United States. These include William Jennings Bryan, Ted Kennedy, Gary Hart, John Edwards, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg.

Several keynote speakers later became president, such as Woodrow Wilson, Harry S. Truman, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. Other speakers like Alben Barkley, Al Gore, and Joe Biden became vice president after speaking at Washington Days.

Current Elected Officials

Members of the U.S. Congress

  • U.S. Senate: Kansas currently has no Democratic U.S. Senators. The last Democrat to serve as a U.S. Senator from Kansas was George McGill, who served from 1930 to 1939. Since then, only Republicans have represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate.
District Member Photo
3rd Davids, ShariceSharice Davids
Sharice Davids (cropped)
Sharice Davids

Statewide Leaders

Leaders in the State Legislature

City Mayors

Prominent Past Party Officials

Federal Government Roles

  • Cabinet Members:

* Kathleen Sebelius: Served as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (2009-2014). She was also a former Governor of Kansas. * Dan Glickman: Served as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1995-2001).

  • U.S. Senators:

* George McGill (1930–1939) * William H. Thompson (1913-1919)

  • U.S. Representatives:

* Dennis Moore (1999–2011) * Dan Glickman (1977–1995) * Jim Slattery (1983–1995)

State Government Roles

  • Governors:

* Laura Kelly (2019–present) * Mark Parkinson (2009–2011) * Kathleen Sebelius (2003–2009) * Joan Finney (1991–1995) * John W. Carlin (1979–1987) * Robert Docking (1967–1975) * George Docking (1957–1961)

Images for kids

  • Democratic Disc

    The symbol of the Democratic Party.

  • Kansas Democratic Party logo

    The logo of the Kansas Democratic Party.

See also

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