Sam Brownback facing off with voters
For decades, Kansas has had a significant Republican base. Although they've had a few Democratic governors like Kathleen Sebelius, and an occasional congressional representative like Dennis Moore, the state has long hovered in deep red territory.
As Republican Gov. Sam Brownback nears the end of his first (and hopefully only) term, Kansans are starting to feel the pinch from those conservatives policies. Standard & Poor has downgraded Kansas' bond rating after tax cuts produced a $300 million budget shortfall, increased poverty, and halved the state's economic growth compared with its neighbors.
Now, the New York Times points out there is a revolt bubbling from some of the unlikeliest of places–Kansas Republicans like Konrad Hastings, who has declared he will vote for a Democrat for the first time this fall:
"He’s leading Kansas down,” said Mr. Hastings, 68, who said he voted for Mr. Brownback four years ago, when he easily won his first term. “We’re going to be bankrupt in two or three years if we keep going his way."
And Hastings isn't alone:
Even some of Kansas’ staunchest Republicans have found some of these measures to be too far to the right. More than 100 current and former Republican elected officials have endorsed Mr. Davis.
And Brownback's not the only GOP candidate in trouble. Recent polling shows Kansas Republicans could go
0-for-3 in the races for governor, U.S. Senate, and secretary of state.
You can help in one of those races by chipping in $5 to help elect Jean Schodorf and get the worst secretary of state in the nation out of office.