Kansas Republicans drop push to redraw the state’s congressional map

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House’s top Republican on Tuesday dropped efforts to force a redraw of U.S. House districts that would have thrust the state into a widening national battle for partisan advantage in the 2026 elections.

The announcement by House Speaker Dan Hawkins ended a weeks long push by GOP lawmakers to circumvent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and call themselves into a special session on redistricting, which would have convened Friday.

A session would have targeted four-term U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in the state’s four-person House delegation.

Republicans still could draw a map designed to oust her after the GOP-supermajority Legislature convenes its next regular annual session in January. Indeed, state Senate President Ty Masterson promised immediately after Hawkins’ announcement that redistricting would be “a top priority” early next year.

Kansas Republicans were trying to answer President Donald Trump’s call for states to redraw their maps to give the GOP more winnable seats ahead of the 2026 midterms so the party stands a better chance of keeping its slim House majority.

The Kansas constitution allowed Republicans to bypass Kelly’s refusal to call a special session by having two-thirds of the members of both chambers sign a petition. The GOP has the necessary supermajorities in both chambers, and enough GOP senators were on board, but a few House Republicans would not sign.

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