Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins abandoned a push to force a special legislative session to redraw the state’s congressional districts, effectively halting a Republican effort to gain an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections. The decision, announced Tuesday, ended a weeks-long attempt by GOP lawmakers to circumvent Democratic Governor Laura Kelly and reshape the state’s political map, a move that would have specifically targeted four-term U.S. Representative Sharice Davids, the state’s only Democratic House member.
The effort was spurred by a call from former President Donald Trump for states to redraw their congressional maps to increase the Republican Party’s chances of maintaining its slim House majority. According to the Associated Press, Kansas Republicans aimed to answer this call by creating more winnable seats for the GOP ahead of the 2026 elections.
While the immediate attempt to convene a special session failed, the possibility of redistricting remains. State Senate President Ty Masterson immediately stated that redrawing the districts would be “a top priority” when the Kansas Legislature convenes its next regular session in January. This suggests that Republicans will likely revisit the issue, particularly given their supermajority control of both the House and Senate.
The outcome of the 2024 elections further emboldened Republicans, granting them control of more than two-thirds of both legislative chambers. This supermajority allows them to override Governor Kelly’s vetoes, potentially making it easier to enact redistricting plans in the future. However, the supermajority status is not guaranteed and could shift in subsequent election cycles.
Several Republicans have already announced their candidacy for the 2026 gubernatorial race, including former Governor Jeff Colyer, current Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Senate President Ty Masterson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. On the Democratic side, State Senators Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson have declared their intentions to run. Lieutenant Governor David Toland has opted not to seek office in 2026, choosing instead to focus on economic development projects.
The 2026 midterm elections for Congress are already seeing a record number of departures, with 43 House members and 10 senators announcing they will not seek re-election. This high number of open seats adds another layer of uncertainty to the political landscape as the 2026 elections approach.
Primary elections in Kansas are scheduled for August 4, 2026, with the general election to follow on November 3, 2026, according to Ballotpedia.
