KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics on both sides of the state line. If you have a story idea to share, you can send Charlie an email at charlie.keegan@kshb.com.
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This story begins in 2002, when Maggie McCoy didn’t even want to meet John Anderson at a mutual friend's Groundhog's Day party.
"Maggie’s comment was, 'Life is too short to date a Republican,'" Anderson, a Republican, said. "I thought, 'that’s not somebody I want to meet in the first place.'"
Much like the groundhog reappears each year, Anderson and McCoy ended up hitting it off at the same Groundhog's Day party in 2003. They moved in together six months later.
"It really has been amazing — this Republican is so much fun to be around," McCoy, said with a laugh.
Ahead of the 2004 election, McCoy put a sign supporting John Kerry’s presidential campaign in the yard of their Prairie Village home.
"If you get to do that, I get to put up a [George W.] Bush sign," Anderson responded.
Before election day that year, the yard was covered with all sorts of antics poking fun at each other’s candidate.
The Kansas City Star put the couple on the front page of the newspaper.
Paula Zahn had the couple on her radio show.
Larry Elder flew them to Los Angeles to appear on his television show.
Anderson worked for President George H.W. Bush’s administration in Washington, D.C. and wrote the book A Plum job: How to Obtain a Political Appointment in Washington, D.C.
He says he’s more involved politics, but McCoy is always first to plant an election sign.
“Once again, she was first," Anderson said. "She put up her [Kamala] Harris sign."
The yard has multiple signs for Donald Trump, Harris, and for down-ballot candidates like Sharice Davids, Dr. Prasanth Reddy, and others.
So how has the couple with deep political disagreements maintained order in their home the past 21 years?
"Not losing your temper, trying to understand the other side," Anderson said.
McCoy adds civil conversation goes a long way.
"That’s the way you solve a lot of problems," she said. "Discourse between people coming from different views,” she said.
The couple that disagrees on politics — and whether to vacation at the beach or the mountains — agrees political rhetoric in the United States has gone too far.
They're hopeful parties, campaigns, and candidates tone it down.
In the meantime, they’ll keep adding signs to their yard.
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