Washington, DC — Today, Kelly Burton, President of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, released the following statement in response to the congressional map released by Kansas House and Senate Republicans: 

“This map is a blatant partisan gerrymander, and demonstrates that Kansas Republicans have decided to ignore both the will of the people and decades of precedent. By carving up Kansas City into two congressional districts, Republicans are diluting the voices of the most populous and diverse region of the state for their own partisan gain. They could have produced a reasonable solution, but instead chose the hyperpartisan path. 

“Over the past several months, hundreds of Kansans have participated in public hearings to make it clear that they want a fair congressional map that keeps the urban and suburban areas of the state separate from the rural regions to ensure adequate representation for all Kansans. It is shameful that Republicans have given the public less than 24 hours to submit their input on a gerrymandered map that will determine their representation for the next decade. Before a vote in either chamber, the legislature must create ample opportunities with reasonable notice for the public to weigh in and commit to passing a map that accounts for the public’s input.”

Republicans have given the public less than 24 hours to submit any reaction to their gerrymandered map. The map was released around 12:20 PM CT on Tuesday, January 18, and the deadline for the public to submit written testimony on the map is 10 AM CT on Wednesday, January 19.

In previous redistricting town halls, Kansans from across the state made one thing clear: they want to keep the Kansas City metropolitan area together in one congressional district and separate from the rural communities outside of it. Kansans from both distinct regions want their own representation that reflects their values. The 2020 Census data indicates that the state’s growth has occurred in the Kansas City metro region, underscoring the need to keep that region’s population together in one congressional district as it is today. 

Earlier this month, the nonpartisan League of Women Voters (LWV) released a map that was introduced in the state legislature and presents a fair alternative that accurately reflects the input Kansans provided in public testimony. 

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