We thought we might spend some time examining the data from our 2017 vote count analysis. Today, we examine those aligned with MainStream.
These are the legislators who voted with MainStream's positions (see "Where we stand" above) on most of the votes studied. The list is long (yay!) and bipartisan (yay!) and a bit complicated. Here's why.
We believe in compromise
One of the founding principles of MainStream (which can be found here, under our History) is "the assertion that compromise around common values builds a just society." We don't believe a litmus test of loyalty can lead to good governance. We have long decried the absolutist positions of extremists, and stood fast for the principle that government needs to work for ALL the people, not just those in power, or those with the most influence. The way to transparent, representative government is through compromise. In that vein, while we celebrate those who vote with us 100% of the time, we make room for those who have some differences with us. The vote count is clear on how our legislators voted, and you can see where your representatives differ from us, and from your own position. Here are the vote count scorecards.
These are the legislators in alignment with MainStream
Keep this list handy as we approach 2018. The entire Kansas House of Representatives will be up for re-election.
Kansas Senate (x, up from xx in 2016):
- Larry Alley, Winfield
Kansas House (x, up from xx in 2016):
- Francis Awerkamp, St. Marys
What else can the vote count analysis tell us?
Moderate numbers are up. Way up.
Not just new legislators, some shifted moderately (pun intended)
The Governor still has a lot of power
But a list doesn't tell the whole story. We looked into the background on some of the numbers, and see a definite trend towards loss of power by these ultra conservatives, though the ones who are left have retrenched, and may be hard to dislodge.
Ultra conservatism is on the wane in Kansas
Of the sixty new legislators sent by voters to Topeka in 2016, only four show up on this list of zeros. Two more joined the Legislature during the 2017 session, chosen by precinct officials when the incumbents retired. And while these six seats did become even less aligned with MainStream's goals, it wasn't by much. The big picture is important, in the 2016 elections, 33 legislators with zero scores were replaced by candidates who scored higher in 2017.
- There are 33 fewer zeros in the Legislature than there were in 2016
- Only four zeros were elected by voters in 2016
- Rep. Awerkamp won the seat of Rep. Hutchins (0%)
- Rep. Humphries won the seat of Rep. Hedke (0%)
- Rep. Jacobs won the seat of Rep. Read (0%)
- Sen. Alley won the seat of Sen. Abrams (17%)
- Two zeros were added during the session, replacing retiring legislators
- Rep. Burris was selected to replace Rep. DeGraaf (13%)
- Rep. Resman was selected to replace Rep. Kiegerl (17%)
Some got more extreme, none became more moderate
Six of the legislators on thus list weren't zeros in 2016. Their zero percent votes this year have brought their lifetime scores down. In the House, Mason, Rahjes, and Williams saw their scores drop when they refused to support public education, even though all three voted to protect college and career ready academic standards in 2016. In the Senate, Baumgardner, Pyle, and Tyson opposed the 2015 budget bill that raised sales taxes in lieu of tax reform, but refused to reform taxes this year.
And it bears noting, no legislator with a score of 0% in 2016 raised their scores in 2017. They all stuck to their guns, as it were.
- 0% in 2017 dropped Rep. Mason from 14% to 9% lifetime
- 0% in 2017 dropped Rep. Rahjes from 33% to 13% lifetime
- 0% in 2017 dropped Rep. Williams from 20% to 10% lifetime
- 0% in 2017 dropped Sen. Baumgardner from 33% to 13% lifetime
- 0% in 2017 dropped Sen. Pyle from 33% to 18% lifetime
- 0% in 2017 dropped Sen. Tyson from 17% to 10% lifetime
They may be hard to dislodge
In 2016, every seat in the Legislature was in play. Twenty-five of the legislators on this list had to win elections before voting the way they did in 2017 (two of them, Rep. Burris and Rep. Resman were appointed mid-session). Looking at their margins of victory in the 2016 elections gives us some insight into how secure they are in their seats. With a few notable exceptions (six races in bold below), the ultra conservatives won their races handily, even if they had a primary challenger.. (Data from KS SOS office: Primary election, General election)
- Senate
- Alley won by 24.5% in Winfield
- Baumgardner won by 36.1% in Louisburg
- Fitzgerald won by just 1.9% in Leavenworth
- Masterson won the primary by 18.5% and the general by 29.3% in Andover
- Olson won by 21.1% in Olathe
- Pilcher-Cook won by just 2.7% in Shawnee
- Pyle won by 16.7% in Hiawatha
- Tyson won by 46.7% in Parker
- House
- Awerkamp won the primary by 20.3% and the general by 22.9% in St. Marys
- Carpenter won by 33.1% in Derby
- Corbet won by just 7.5% in Topeka
- DeGraaf won by 23.3% in Mulvane (Rep. Burris now holds the seat)
- Esau won the primary by just 9.7% and the general by 15.9% in Olathe
- Garber did not have any opponents in Sabetha
- Highland won by just 3.9% in Wamego
- Houser did not have any opponents in Columbus
- Huebert won by 43.7% in Valley Center
- Humphries won the primary by 20.1% but did not have a general election opponent in Wichita
- Jacobs won the primary by 21.4% but did not have a general election opponent in Fort Scott
- Jones won by 18.3% in Wellsville
- Kiegerl won by 20.1% in Olathe (Rep. Resman now holds the seat)
- Mason won by 39.3% in McPherson
- Powell won the primary by 19.5% but won the general by just 4.7% in Olathe
- Rahjes did not have any opponents in Agra
- Vickrey won by 17.5% in Louisburg
- Whitmer won by 24.9% in Wichita
- Williams did not have any opponents in Augusta
