IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 17, 2026
CONTACT:
Lauren Fitzgerald
[email protected]
(785) 249-6923
Kansans Win: State Legislature Fails to Redistrict Mid-Decade
TOPEKA — The Kansas Fair Maps Coalition officially declared victory after the Kansas legislature ended the 2026 regular session without passing legislation to redistrict the state. Leaders in the House and Senate never brought a gerrymandered map to a vote, acknowledging they lacked the support to pass new maps that would have split Johnson County into multiple congressional districts just years after redrawing the district lines.
The victory came after continued grassroots pressure from thousands of Kansans who made their voices heard through petitions, postcards, emails, and public events. The Coalition collected signatures from constituents in every Senate district and nearly every House district, and more than 250 citizens rallied in Johnson County in mid-October to oppose gerrymandering. Business leaders, civic organizations, and chambers of commerce publicly opposed splitting communities for partisan gain.
Kansas will keep its current congressional maps through the 2026 election cycle, with Johnson County remaining fully within a single congressional district. Kansas stands apart from neighboring states that moved forward with mid-decade redistricting schemes to silence voters and consolidate political power.
“Kansans spoke loud and clear: they want their elected officials to focus on lowering costs, improving healthcare, and protecting rural hospitals — not manipulating district lines for political gain,” said Laurel Burchfield, spokesperson for the Kansas Fair Maps Coalition. “We are glad that enough lawmakers listened to their constituents and prevented this partisan effort to gerrymander Kansas mid-decade.”
This success proves that when Kansans organize and speak up for fair representation, the people win. The Coalition’s work demonstrates that grassroots power can protect democracy against efforts to rig the system.
“Nonprofit groups and advocates came together last fall and throughout the spring to stand up for our neighbors and our communities,” said Burchfield.
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