KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Republican-controlled Kansas Senate voted Tuesday to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a congressional map that would divide Wyandotte County and dilute the voting strength of its minority residents.
The action sets up a crucial override vote in the House, where GOP leaders must summon a two-thirds majority to force the new district boundaries into law. The outcome will reveal whether the Republican Legislature or the Democratic governor currently holds the upper hand in the decennial fight over redistricting.
The map marks an brazen attempt by Republicans to draw boundaries that would weaken the electoral prospects of U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, the state’s sole Democrat in Congress. It divides Wyandotte County roughly along Interstate 70 between the 2nd and 3rd Congressional Districts. Currently, the entire county – along with Johnson County – is in the 3rd.
