On Kansas congressional redistricting, readers have clear preference for future of the 3rd

This week we asked readers how Kansas’s 3rd Congressional District — which includes all of Wyandotte, Johnson and part of Miami counties — should change during redistricting next year.

The population of Wyandotte and Johnson have grown enough that it won’t be possible to keep them fully together in the 3rd. Collectively, the counties have about 44,000 more residents than will be allowed in the district.

The Kansas Legislature will draw new congressional maps in 2022. Democrats fear Republicans will gerrymander the district to make Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids more vulnerable to defeat.

By a strong plurality, readers think the solution to redistricting should come from southern and western Johnson County.

Forty-six percent of readers in our online, unscientific poll, said they would prefer to keep all of Wyandotte County in the 3rd district, but move parts of Johnson County into the 2nd district.

Here are the rest of the results:

▪ 23% want to preserve the core of both counties in the 3rd but move areas of both Wyandotte and Johnson into other districts

▪ 18% want to keep all of Johnson County in the 3rd but transfer areas of Wyandotte County into other districts

▪ 14% don’t want any of those options