What do you do if you’re a vulnerable Democratic governor running for reelection in a red state? If you’re Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, you cut taxes.
Kelly announced plans on Monday to eliminate Topeka’s tax on groceries, declaring it would save the average family $500 annually. The governor ran on the proposal in 2018 when she rode a blue wave to victory in Kansas, which typically votes Republican for president and other statewide offices. In pushing to “ax the food tax,” Kelly would fulfill a campaign promise. But it was mostly the timing, rather than the announcement itself, that was notable.
Six days earlier, the Republican Party scored significant victories in key off-year elections in Virginia, a state President Joe Biden won by more than 10 percentage points last November. And Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, made slashing the grocery tax a centerpiece of his economic agenda.
With the prospect of a red wave building for the 2022 midterm elections, Kelly wasted little time moving her similar proposal to the top of her to-do list.
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“BREAKING: Just now, I announced my administration’s plan to eliminate Kansas’ food sales tax. Eliminating the state food tax will save the average Kansas family of four $500 per year – those savings make a huge difference,” Kelly said in a Twitter post.
In a second tweet, the governor added: “It’s official: 2022 is the year of the family tax Cut. That means more money in every Kansans’ wallet, more money on our Main Streets, and more money in our economy. It’s finally time to #AxeTheFoodTax.”
If Biden’s job approval ratings do not improve and Democrats fail to recover their standing with independents and suburban swing voters, middle-class tax cuts may not be able to save Kelly.
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Former President Donald Trump won Kansas by 14.7 points last fall, and the Republicans’ natural advantage in the state could be especially pronounced if the midterm elections unfold as a backlash against the Biden White House.
The Republican Governors Association predicted Kelly would not succeed in saving her career — even by championing popular tax cuts.
“This desperate attempt to save face by America’s most political vulnerable governor is a window into how concerned Democrats are about their electoral prospects in 2022,” said RGA spokesman Jesse Hunt.
