In a move that’s stirring political debate across Kansas, Republican leaders have set the stage for a special session this fall to redraw the state’s Congressional districts—a decision that’s raising alarm bells among Democrats and voting rights advocates, particularly in Johnson County. The effort, which has been brewing for weeks, was the focal point at a town hall held on October 13, 2025, in Lenexa, where around 60 residents gathered to hear from state lawmakers and community leaders about the potential impact of the redistricting plan.
At the heart of the controversy is the fate of Johnson County, a populous suburban area that has become increasingly Democratic in recent years. Currently, the entire county falls within Kansas’s Third Congressional District, represented by Democrat Sharice Davids. But under the proposed redistricting, Johnson County could be split and folded into a larger rural district—a move critics say would dilute its urban and suburban influence in Washington, D.C.
“This is a scheme that is an effort to dilute the votes of thousands of Kansans, particularly right here in Johnson County,” said State Senator Cindy Holscher, a Democrat from Overland Park and a gubernatorial candidate, during a press briefing on October 14, as reported by KWCH. Holscher didn’t mince words, calling the redistricting push a plan by extremists to “steal votes” and push out Congresswoman Davids. “This is about pushing out Congresswoman Sharice Davids, because extremists want complete control of our state,” she added, according to KWCH.
The urgency behind the redistricting effort is palpable. Republican leaders have already appropriated $460,000 to fund the special session, with part of the money earmarked for an unnamed company to draft new district maps, according to KWCH. Senate President Ty Masterson, a Republican and fellow gubernatorial hopeful, has been a vocal supporter of the plan. Masterson confirmed that the special session is scheduled to start on November 7, 2025, and while funds have been approved for a four-day session, he noted that lawmakers may not need all four days to pass a new map.
Masterson has framed the redistricting as a necessary battle for the “heart and soul of America,” aligning the effort with President Donald Trump’s agenda. According to the Johnson County Post, he stated that the session is about “helping the President to make America great again.” The push for redistricting in Kansas mirrors similar efforts in other Republican-led states, where leaders are seeking to redraw Congressional boundaries to create more GOP-leaning districts and eliminate existing Democratic seats.
For Johnson County residents, the stakes are high. At the Lenexa town hall, Holscher and State Representative Stephanie Clayton—both Democrats from Overland Park—warned that splitting the county could undermine its ability to advocate for local needs. Clayton told attendees, “It’s almost like they are trying to electoral-college the state,” suggesting that the plan would override local representation in favor of partisan advantage. She emphasized the importance of geographical representation, noting that members of Congress who have lived and worked in the district are better equipped to understand its unique challenges.
The town hall, described as a nonpartisan community education event and emceed by Johnson County Commissioner Julie Brewer, provided a forum for concerned citizens to ask questions and express their worries. Panelist Connie Brown Collins, a Wyandotte County voting rights activist, shared her perspective on what happens when a county is split for political gain. She recounted how the northern half of Wyandotte County was carved out in 2022 in an attempt to weaken Davids’ re-election chances—a move that, she said, made it harder to engage voters. “It’s not a good situation when you feel powerless to be able to put forth your needs and priorities because you don’t feel you’ll be heard,” Collins remarked, according to the Johnson County Post. Some residents who were shifted into a new district, she added, have since stopped contacting their representatives altogether.
Holscher echoed these concerns, arguing that the mid-decade redistricting session would damage what Representative Clayton called the “sacred trust” between voters and their elected officials. “When you go through a process like this, think about what that does to voters. It makes them lose faith in the government when the government doesn’t adhere to the rules,” Holscher told the crowd. She went on to criticize the political gamesmanship at play, lamenting that urgent issues like affordable housing, property tax relief, and support for farmers are being sidelined. “We don’t have time for these political games. Really there isn’t a reason to do this (redistricting) other than to, in my opinion, break the system,” Holscher said. “It doesn’t feel like they are hiding what they want to do.”
Republican leaders, for their part, argue that the redistricting is necessary to reflect the state’s political realities and population shifts. Masterson and his allies hope the new map will help create an all-GOP congressional delegation from Kansas. As it stands, Sharice Davids is the state’s lone Democratic representative in Congress—a situation Republicans are eager to change.
The prospect of redistricting has mobilized local advocacy groups as well. The Kansas Fair Maps Coalition, which includes the Mainstream Coalition and other organizations, planned a redistricting rally on October 14 at the Sylvester Powell Community Center in Mission. Their goal: to raise awareness and push for a more transparent, independent process for drawing district lines. Holscher has voiced support for this approach, saying she favors oversight by an independent organization rather than partisan maneuvering.
Some attendees at the Lenexa town hall expressed fears that the redistricting effort could erode democracy in Kansas. One Paola man, who declined to be named due to his government job, warned that if Republicans succeed in ousting Davids, “They won’t care what we have to say.” Scott Michie, an Overland Park precinct committee member for the Democratic Party, said his party is working to initiate a bipartisan redistricting process that incorporates local and state feedback—but he claimed that state Republicans are “going in the opposite direction.”
As the special session approaches, the debate over redistricting is far from settled. Holscher and Clayton urged attendees to speak with friends and neighbors—especially those who don’t always vote—about the importance of fair representation. They also called for future reforms to strengthen election and representation laws, pointing to states that use independent commissions to draw district boundaries as possible models for Kansas.
With the special session set to begin on November 7 and $460,000 already allocated for the effort, the outcome could reshape Kansas’s political landscape for years to come. For now, residents of Johnson County and beyond are left to wonder how the new lines will be drawn—and who will have the loudest voice in the halls of Congress.