Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins announced Tuesday he is dropping efforts to force a special session on redistricting, ending a weekslong push by Republicans to redraw U.S. House districts ahead of the 2026 elections.
According to The Associated Press, the move would have targeted Rep. Sharice Davids, the state’s only Democrat in Congress.
“Planning a Special Session is always going to be an uphill battle with multiple agendas, scheduling conflicts and many unseen factors at play,” Hawkins said in a statement.
The decision comes after GOP leaders struggled to gather enough House signatures to bypass Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who refused to call the session.
While the GOP holds supermajorities in both chambers, several Republicans declined to sign the petition.
State Senate President Ty Masterson said redistricting will still be “a top priority” when lawmakers return for their regular session in January.
Davids celebrated the decision but warned the fight isn’t over.
“We’ve won the first round in this fight against gerrymandering,” she said in a statement.
Republicans have not redrawn Kansas’ congressional maps mid-decade since 1965.
Some GOP lawmakers opposed the move, warning it could backfire by making other Republican-held districts more competitive.
Laurel Burchfield, advocacy director for the Mainstream Coalition, said Kansas residents want lawmakers to focus on the economy, not politics.
“Changing the maps mid-decade to rig the system in their favor is wrong,” she said.
Davids, whose district covers much of the Kansas City area, said she plans to challenge any new map in court — and hasn’t ruled out a U.S. Senate run if her district is redrawn.
“Every option is on the table, including a statewide race,” Davids said.
