The August primary elections produced sobering results for all Kansas politicians and, for the matter, all Kansans.
Sometimes important elections, like the presidential contest of 2020, easily display their importance. Others, however, may seem quite ordinary, even as they produce or reflect substantial change. The recent primary falls into this category, largely because it hastens a powerful trend in Kansas politics — the growing national-style partisanship that reduces our capacity to address serious problems.
This year, right-wing Republican state senate candidates won six primary races, knocking off such notable Republican moderates as John Skubal (Overland Park), Randy Hardy (Salina), and Ed Berger (Hutchinson), all who won their seats in 2016 and who faced well-funded, highly conservative opponents.
