TOPEKA, Kan. — Republicans are moving to redraw the boundaries of Kansas Senate districts so that a GOP and Democratic senator would face running against each other and the Redistricting Committee's chair would be drawn into a GOP colleague's district.
Republicans and Democrats have rival plans, though the GOP plan is more likely to pass, given Republicans' Senate supermajority.
The League of Women Voters also has a plan, and all three were posted online by Friday morning.
The Kansas Constitution requires lawmakers to redraw their districts to make them as equal in population every 10 years. Senators expect to vote on a map next week.
The GOP plan would put Redistricting Chair Rick Wilborn, a McPherson Republican, in a district with Sen. Michael Fagg, an El Dorado Republican.
That suggests Wilborn doesn't plan to seek reelection this year, but Darren Beckham, his chief of staff, said Wilborn isn't commenting until a map is in enacted.
The Republican plan also would put GOP Sen. Beverly Gossage, of Eudora, in a district with Democratic Sen. Tom Holland, of Baldwin City.
The Democratic plan has only one district with a pair of incumbents, Wilborn and Fagg.
The League of Women Voters' proposal would have three districts with a pair of GOP incumbents.