Kansas City, Missouri is often characterized as a politically moderate city that leans Democratic. While the city proper tends to vote Democratic in national and statewide elections, the surrounding suburbs and counties tend to lean Republican. Overall, the Kansas City metropolitan area encompasses a diverse range of political views and affiliations.
Kansas City Voting Patterns
In recent national and statewide elections, Kansas City has voted reliably Democratic. In the 2020 presidential election, President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by over 17 percentage points in Kansas City. Biden received 66% of the vote compared to Trump’s 49%. This continue a trend of Kansas City supporting Democratic presidential candidates. In 2016, Hillary Clinton defeated Trump by over 19 points in the city. Going back further, Barack Obama won Kansas City by even wider margins in 2008 and 2012.
At the state level, Kansas City also favors Democratic candidates, albeit by smaller margins. In the 2020 Missouri gubernatorial election, Democratic candidate Nicole Galloway defeated Republican Mike Parson by 6 percentage points in Kansas City. The incumbent Republican Governor Parson went on to win the election statewide.
In U.S. Senate and Congressional races, Kansas City constituents have supported both Democratic and Republican candidates over the years. However, in recent election cycles, the city has trended more Democratic. Democrats currently hold both of Kansas City’s seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Suburban and County Voting
While Kansas City proper votes solidly Democratic, the politically picture changes significantly in the surrounding suburbs and counties. Many of the communities bordering Kansas City in Jackson, Clay, Platte and Cass counties lean Republican.
For example, in the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump defeated Joe Biden by over 30 percentage points in Platte County to the north of Kansas City. Trump’s margin of victory was nearly 20 points in Cass County to the south. Clay County, which contains many northern suburbs of Kansas City, voted for Trump by 5 points after supporting Mitt Romney by over 12 points in 2012.
At the state level, voters in these suburban counties have also favored Republican candidates in recent elections for Governor, U.S. Senate and state legislature. The suburbs and exurbs of Kansas City serve as the base of the Missouri Republican party.
Factors Influencing Kansas City’s Politics
Several factors likely contribute to Kansas City’s status as a left-leaning urban island in a sea of red suburbs and rural counties.
- Demographic shifts – Kansas City’s population has become more diverse and educated over time. The city is now majority non-white. Higher education attainment levels correlate strongly with voting Democratic.
- Density – Densely populated urban areas like downtown Kansas City tend to vote more Democratic compared to sparse exurban and rural areas.
- Unions – Kansas City has a relatively strong union presence compared to other parts of Missouri. Labor union members tend to support Democrats.
- Government services – Cities rely more on public services and social programs that are often associated with Democratic policy positions.
On the other hand, Republican strength in the Kansas City suburbs may be driven by:
- Racial composition – Many suburbs are still predominantly white compared to the city.
- Home ownership – Suburban areas have high rates of home ownership. Homeowners often lean more conservative.
- Religious beliefs – The region has many evangelical Christians who favor conservative ideology.
- Low population density – Less dense areas are more likely to vote Republican.
Evolving Political Environment
The political environment in the Kansas City region has been evolving over the past decade. Some patterns to note:
- Suburban shift – Formerly dependable Republican suburbs like Clay County have been trending Democratic recently.
- Rural slippage – Democrats used to be more competitive in rural counties but have lost ground there.
- Variable midterms – Midterm turnout fluctuates more than presidential elections. Republicans did well in Kansas City suburbs during 2010 and 2014 midterms but lost ground in 2018.
- Trump effect – Donald Trump galvanized Democratic opposition in Kansas City but boosted GOP margins in rural areas.
Going forward, it will be important to watch if these regional voting patterns solidify or if new trends emerge. Kansas City’s rapid growth and diversification could alter the political landscape in the coming years. For now, the city remains a blue island in Missouri’s predominantly red sea.
Registration and Party Affiliation
Official voter registration statistics provide additional insights into the partisan leanings of Kansas City and the surrounding areas. As of October 2022, here is the breakdown of registered voters by party in key Missouri counties:
County | Democratic | Republican | Other |
---|---|---|---|
Jackson (KC) | 241,706 | 96,129 | 135,981 |
Clay | 33,139 | 50,609 | 36,066 |
Platte | 17,622 | 45,042 | 22,182 |
Cass | 11,610 | 23,852 | 10,684 |
In Kansas City’s home county of Jackson, registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by over 2 to 1. But across the three suburban counties listed, Republican registrants lead Democrats by significant margins. Platte County has the largest GOP advantage at over 15,000 more Republican than Democratic voters. So while Kansas City residents overwhelmingly identify with the Democratic Party, the surrounding metro areas skew Republican in their partisan affiliations.
Recent Local Election Trends
Results from recent local elections in Kansas City also reflect the city’s Democratic tilt. In 2019, Quinton Lucas won the Kansas City mayoral race by a landslide, capturing over 65% of the vote. All but one member of the current Kansas City City Council are Democrats. The partisan lean of the city council matches the heavily Democratic makeup of the city’s population.
At the same time, Republicans maintain strength in local offices in the neighboring suburbs. The city councils of places like Blue Springs, Liberty, Lee’s Summit and Belton skew heavily Republican based on recent election results and council member party affiliations. So while Democrats dominate Kansas City’s government, the GOP is the majority party in most suburban cities surrounding Kansas City.
Congressional Representation
The partisan split between Democratic Kansas City and Republican-leaning suburbs is also evident in Congressional representation.
Kansas City is part of two U.S. House districts – MO-5 and MO-6. Both seats are currently held by Democrats – Emanuel Cleaver represents MO-5 and Sam Graves represents MO-6. In the redistricting process following the 2020 Census, MO-5 was redrawn to consolidate more of Kansas City into Cleaver’s district. As a result, the new MO-5 contains nearly all of Kansas City and inner suburbs, while MO-6 covers more rural areas and outer ring suburbs.
This redistricting configuration mirrors the political divisions of the region. The urban core leans strongly Democratic and elects Representative Cleaver. The rural and suburban areas lean Republican and elect Representative Graves. Furthermore, both Cleaver and Graves regularly win re-election by comfortable margins, indicating their districts are relatively safe seats for their respective parties.
State Legislature Representation
A similar dynamic exists in representation in the Missouri General Assembly. Kansas City’s core urban districts elect Democrats to the Missouri House and Senate. Moving outward, more suburbs and rural counties vote for Republican legislators.
For example, the historic center city areas like the 18th and 19th districts have consistently elected Democrats over the past decade. At the same time, Republican legislators hail from distant exurbs like Lee’s Summit, Platte City and Warrensburg.
The Missouri legislature remains firmly in Republican control despite Kansas City’s Democratic influence. Republicans currently hold supermajorities in both the House and Senate. Kansas City’s voice is diluted by the overwhelming Republican advantages in rural areas and small towns across Missouri.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Kansas City itself consistently votes for Democrats in national, statewide and local elections. The city has voted overwhelmingly Democratic in the last several presidential elections. Kansas City government and legislative delegations are also dominated by Democrats.
However, the political picture changes dramatically in the suburbs and rural counties surrounding Kansas City. These areas remain solidly Republican in their voting patterns and party registrations. The Missouri GOP relies heavily on the suburbs and exurbs of Kansas City to counterbalance Democratic votes from the urban core.
So while Kansas City proper earns its reputation as a blue outpost in the red state of Missouri, the wider Kansas City region reflects the broader political divides between urban, suburban and rural areas seen throughout the country.