The Republican-controlled Kansas state Legislature voted to override a veto from Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, granting Republicans a rare win in their nationwide battle for control of congressional maps ahead of the midterm elections.
The new map, which is set to take effect over Kelly’s objections, will make it more difficult for the state’s only Democrat in Congress, Rep. Sharice Davids, to win reelection. The map will be challenged in state court, the highest of which is the Democrat-controlled Supreme Court.
“The blatant corruption that took place in our statehouse today is shameful and a disservice to the good people of Kansas who entrust their elected officials to advocate for them,” the Kansas Democratic Party said in a statement following the veto override in the Senate on Tuesday. “Kansans deserve better than these kinds of backroom deals and arm twisting that put politics first and Kansans last.”
KANSAS GOVERNOR VETOES REPUBLICAN-BACKED CONGRESSIONAL MAP
The override cleared the state’s House in a vote of 85–37 on Wednesday, just one vote above the threshold needed to clear the two-thirds majority Kansas requires in both chambers to override a gubernatorial veto. Republican state Rep. Michael Houser, who has been absent from voting during all of this legislative session due to sickness, arrived with an oxygen tank to ensure the override passed, the Kansas City Star reported. It is unclear what sickness he had.
The override also cleared the state’s Senate on Tuesday by a margin of 27–11.
The new map, known as Ad Astra 2, shifts about 46% of the black population and 33% of the Hispanic population out of the 3rd District and adds in more rural counties. In 2020, the district favored President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump by 11 percentage points. Under the new map, it would have voted for Biden by a margin of 4.5 percentage points during the 2020 election, according to Dave Wasserman, a national elections analyst with the Cook Political Report.
Kelly vetoed the map last week, arguing that it dilutes the voting power of minority communities and calling for a bipartisan map.
Following news of the override, Democratic lawyer Marc Elias announced on Twitter that Kansas will be sued over the maps. His law firm, Elias Law Group, has participated in multiple redistricting court challenges on behalf of Democrats and has bragged about five high-profile victories in redistricting cases.
Kansas will be sued. https://t.co/azdeJm6gtS
— Marc E. Elias (@marceelias) February 9, 2022
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The Kansas state Supreme Court comprises five justices who were appointed under Democratic governors and two justices appointed under Republican governors.
Kansas has four congressional seats, a figure that remained unchanged by the latest census data, collected in 2020. Its current congressional delegation comprises three Republicans and one Democrat.
