kids encyclopedia robot

Kansas Democratic Party facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Kansas Democratic Party
Chairperson Jeanna Repass
Governor Laura Kelly
Lieutenant Governor David Toland
Senate Leader Dinah Sykes
House Leader Vic Miller
Founded July 27, 1855
Headquarters Topeka, KS
Membership (2021) Decrease508,808
Ideology Modern liberalism
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

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, along with the Republicans. The current leader of the party is Jeanna Repass.

This party currently holds the state's governorship and lieutenant governorship. They also have one seat in the state's U.S. House of Representatives. However, they are currently the minority party in both parts of the state legislature.

Understanding Kansas Politics

Kansas politics have mostly been led by the Kansas Republican Party since Kansas became a territory. In 1857, the Kansas Democratic Party was created. They tried to make Kansas a state that allowed slavery by writing a special constitution.

This constitution was written in Lecompton, Kansas. Many people who wanted Kansas to be a free state did not agree with it. They saw it as unfair. Later, a free-state constitution was written in Topeka and was accepted.

Party History in Kansas

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

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

Working with Other Parties

Kansas Republicans eventually split into two groups: moderate and conservative. This led to what is sometimes called "three-party politics" in the state. 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 has been especially true in recent governor elections, like in 2002, 2006, 2014, and 2018.

In the 2010 Kansas elections, 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 the state legislature.

In 2016, the Kansas Democratic Party helped elect 14 new Democrats to the Kansas Legislature. They also saw many moderate Republicans win their primary elections. This often led to bipartisan groups in the Kansas House. These groups worked together on issues like expanding healthcare and taxes.

In the 2018 elections, 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. They also managed to keep their losses low in the more conservative rural areas of Kansas.

The 2020 presidential election showed strong support for Joe Biden in Kansas. He won 42% of the vote. This was the best result for a Democratic presidential candidate in Kansas since Michael Dukakis in 1988.

Governor Kelly was re-elected in 2022. Representative Davids was also re-elected in 2020 and 2022. They remain the only statewide and congressional office holders for the party, along with Lieutenant Governor David Toland.

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. It includes meetings, dinners, and parties. The event always ends with a speech from a special guest speaker. It is usually held in Topeka, the capital city.

The keynote speech at Washington Days has often been a place for future Democratic candidates for President of the United States to speak. Some famous speakers have included William Jennings Bryan, Ted Kennedy, Gary Hart, John Edwards, Martin O’Malley, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg.

Many keynote speakers later became president. These include 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 U.S. Congress

The Kansas Democratic Party currently has one member in the U.S. House of Representatives.

District Member Photo
3rd Davids, ShariceSharice Davids
Sharice Davids (cropped).jpg

Statewide Offices

The Kansas Democratic Party holds two statewide offices.

Legislative Leadership

These are the leaders of the Democratic Party in the Kansas Legislature:

Mayors

The Kansas Democratic Party has members serving as mayors in some cities:

Kansas Democratic Party Chairs

The chairperson is the main leader of the party. Here are some of the people who have served as chair of the Kansas Democratic Party:

  • (1855) Gen. James H. Lane (First Chair)
  • (1955–1969) Frank Theis (Longest Serving Chair)
  • (2023–present) Jeanna Repass (Current Chair)

See also

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Kansas Democratic Party Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.