Today, Punchbowl News reported that Kansas Republicans are preparing to call themselves into a special session to redraw congressional maps, targeting Representative Sharice Davids’ (D-KS-03) district and silencing Kansas voters.
This push comes amid pressure from Donald Trump and Washington special interests, who are determined to take Kansans’ power away at the ballot box. State leaders, including Senate President Ty Masterson, are breaking promises and openly backing a redistricting scheme that could split up Johnson County and deepen division in the state.
Davids has faced this fight before. Former Senate Majority Leader Susan Wagle said at the time, “We can draw four Republican congressional maps.” But after the 2022 gerrymander, which was designed to make Kansas’ Third District as Republican-friendly as possible, Davids won by 12 percent and was re-elected last year by double digits. The message is clear: even with direct attacks, voters won’t be silenced by political manipulation.
Read more in Punchbowl News: Kansas Republicans prepare to move on redistricting, by Ally Mutnick, Max Cohen, and Laura Weiss
“Republicans in the Kansas legislature are planning to petition to call themselves into a special session on redistricting, circumventing Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. An announcement could happen soon, per sources with knowledge of the plans.
This special session would be the beginning of a lengthy process to try and draw Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids out of her Kansas City-based district. This push, which comes amid White House pressure, is the newest front in the nationwide redistricting wars.
Republicans can force the governor to call a special session if a supermajority of lawmakers sign a petition. The Kansas legislature has a GOP supermajority in both chambers.
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… if Republican leaders in the Kansas House and Senate are ready to gather signatures, they likely believe they have the necessary buy-in from their caucuses. State Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican who is currently running for governor, has been publicly supportive of redistricting.
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Davids currently holds a purple seat that former Vice President Kamala Harris won by four points. A new map would likely need to split Kansas City among three districts.
In addition to Davids, Rep. Derek Schmidt (R-Kan.) already has part of Kansas City. Rep. Tracey Mann’s (R-Kan.) sprawling rural 1st District would need to stretch east to snag a piece in a new map. That could cause tension because it lumps together rural areas with urban and suburban communities that have little in common.
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One last thing to keep in mind: Marshall is up for reelection in 2026. If Davids’ House seat turns deep red, she could choose to challenge him.”