United Kansas Explained

United Kansas
Colorcode:
  1. f5b105
Chairperson:Jack Curtis
Foundation:2024
Ideology:Fusion voting
Big tent
Bipartisanship
Website:unitedkansas.com
Country:the United States
Colors:Orange
Position:Centre
Slogan:One Vision, One Kansas

United Kansas is a minor political party in the U.S. state of Kansas. United Kansas was founded in 2024 by Jack Curtis, who currently chairs the party.[1] Other party leadership includes Sally Cauble, a Republican who formerly served on the Kansas State Board of Education, and Aaron Estabrook, an independent who served on the Manhattan City Commission.[2] United Kansas advocates for fusion voting, nominating existing Republican or Democratic candidates.

History

On May 24, 2024, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab declared that United Kansas had met the requirements to become officially recognized as a political party in Kansas.[3] They collected 35,152 signatures, greater than the requisite 2% of total votes in the last gubernatorial election. United Kansas joins No Labels Kansas and the Libertarian Party as a minor political party in Kansas.[4]

In United Kansas's first year as an official party, they nominated three candidates for the Kansas House and Kansas Senate.[5] These included Lori Blake, a Democrat running for the 69th Kansas House district, J.C. Moore, a Republican running for the 26th Kansas Senate district, and Jason Probst, the incumbent representative for the 102nd Kansas House district.[6] Additionally, they nominated two candidates for the Leavenworth City Commission.[7]

Chairman Jack Curtis said that the party's organizers were interested in recreating fusion voting in Kansas, "an idea that would enable United Kansas to cross-nominate Republican or Democratic candidates".[8]

References

  1. Web site: 2024-03-12 . New Kansas political party promises new era of politics . 2024-04-19 . KSN-TV . en-US.
  2. Web site: Cassell . Victoria . 2024-03-13 . New Kansas political party introduces fresh era of collaborative politics . 2024-04-19 . en.
  3. Web site: 2024-05-24 . United Kansas officially recognized as political party in Kansas . 2024-06-06 . KOAM News Now . en.
  4. Web site: 2024-05-24 . 'United Kansas' named state's 5th political party . 2024-06-06 . KSNT 27 News . en-US.
  5. Web site: Kansas Secretary of State Elections Candidate Lists . 2024-06-01 . sos.ks.gov.
  6. Web site: Kansas . United . United Kansas . 2024-06-06 . United Kansas . en-US.
  7. News: Shorman . Jonathan . June 7, 2024 . New Kansas political party wants to change how you vote. Can they get around the ban? . live . The Kansas City Star.
  8. Web site: Carpenter . Tim . United Kansas officially earns spot on Kansas ballots as state's fifth political party • Kansas Reflector . 2024-06-06 . Kansas Reflector . en-US.