Political experts say Kansas is seeing an increasing urban-rural divide, especially after the November election when Democratic voters in the state's urban centers pushed Laura Kelly to defeat Republican Kris Kobach in the governor's race.
The Kansas City Star reportsthat the growing urban-rural divide could make it easier for Democrats to control the governor's office or hold a congressional seat. Ahead of the 2018 midterm election, the percentage of Kansas Democrats registered to vote grew for the first time in years.
But the urban-rural divide could also mean that Republicans fortify their hold on rural areas. Kansas won't have any Democratic state lawmakers west of Hutchinson.
University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller says the politics and size of the divide are now starkly obvious on maps.
