❓WHAT HAPPENED: Kansas Republicans decided against pursuing a mid-decade redistricting effort that could have affected the state’s sole Democratic congressional district.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Republican state House Speaker Dan Hawkins, Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson, Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, and Rep. Sharice Davids (D-KS).
📍WHEN & WHERE: Kansas, with announcements and developments occurring in late October and early November 2025.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Planning a Special Session is always going to be an uphill battle with multiple agendas, scheduling conflicts, and many unseen factors at play.” – Dan Hawkins
🎯IMPACT: The decision delays redistricting efforts in Kansas, while other states like Texas, Missouri, and California move forward with partisan map changes.
Kansas Republicans have abandoned efforts to hold a special legislative session in order to pass a redistricting plan that would have targeted Congresswoman Sharice Davids (D-KS), the only Democrat member of the state’s congressional delegation. State Representative Dan Hawkins (R), the state House Speaker, announced on Tuesday that he lacked the votes to convene a special session without the approval of Governor Laura Kelly (D-KS).
“Planning a Special Session is always going to be an uphill battle with multiple agendas, scheduling conflicts, and many unseen factors at play,” Hawkins said in a statement, while emphasizing that Republicans still “wish to have a conversation about redistricting.” State Senate President Ty Masterson (R), the gubernatorial frontrunner, stated that redistricting remains a “top priority” for the legislature when it reconvenes in January.
Congresswoman Davids responded to the news on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “For months, extreme Republican legislators in Topeka have been scheming with D.C. politicians to silence Kansas voices. Today, we’ve won the first round in this fight against gerrymandering. But their plan to cheat the system isn’t over.”
Masterson, however, emphasized the continued goal of redrawing the state congressional map, saying, “In 2016, 2020, and again in 2024, Kansans gave President Trump overwhelming record numbers, and they expect their elected leaders to keep fighting for his America-First agenda. That’s exactly what we’ve done in the Senate, and that’s exactly what we’ll keep doing. We’re not backing down, and we’re not sitting out of this fight.”
Meanwhile, other states, such as Texas, Missouri, and others, have moved forward with their own redistricting efforts, creating additional Republican-leaning districts. California voters, in contrast, approved a measure to create up to five more Democratic-leaning seats, with over $100 million spent on the campaign supporting the proposal. Virginia Democrats have also initiated a special session aimed at gaining up to three additional congressional seats ahead of the 2026 midterms.
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