The Kansas Republican Party’s new chairman wants to eliminate nonpartisan elections for cities, counties and school boards, throwing his weight behind the concept after the GOP-controlled state Senate earlier this year rejected a similar idea.
The end of nonpartisan elections would have significant consequences for Kansas politics. Critics warn such a change would inject national ideological battles into local government, risking disrupting the often-mundane but crucial tasks local leaders confront, like filling potholes and approving budgets.
Kansas GOP Chairman Mike Brown’s support for mandating the use of political party labels in all elections is highly controversial even among Republicans. His call for partisan local races comes after Republicans in February chose Brown, a former Johnson County commissioner who lost his 2020 reelection bid and has promoted election conspiracies, to lead the party in a divisive election he won by only two votes.
