Kamala Harris raising more money than Donald Trump in these Kansas, Missouri ZIP codes | Opinion
When it comes to cash, Kansas and Missouri are a lot more blue than you think.
Our Electoral College votes may go to Donald Trump next month. But our money — to a striking extent — is going to Kamala Harris.
That’s the takeaway from a new Washington Post map that breaks down online presidential campaign contributions by ZIP code.
If you’ve spent the last few decades looking at county-by-county voting maps of the two states that depict giant seas of red surrounding small dabs of blue — in and around Lawrence and Columbia, Kansas City and St. Louis — the cash map is a bit startling: It shows online donations trending more to Democrats than to Republicans in the expected locations, but not just there.
“In most states across the country,” the Post declares, “more people donated to Vice President Kamala Harris than to former president Donald Trump.”
Just six states — Alabama, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Wyoming — gave more online cash donations to the ex-president.
Kansas and Missouri aren’t on the list. Interesting, don’t you think?
A few highlights:
On the Kansas side, you will not be surprised to find out that a Lawrence ZIP code, 66049, is one of the biggest money supporters of the Harris campaign. The Post story says 1,308 residents on the city’s west side gave roughly $200,000 to the Democrat. Trump pulled in $50,000 from 224 donors. (The Post map doesn’t give precise numbers for cash levels, rounding to the nearest $10,000 or $100,000 increments.)
A few Johnson County locales trended dark blue as well. In Olathe, 1,340 donors gave about $100,000 to Harris, while 700 Trump donors matched that amount. And in the 66208 ZIP code that covers Mission Hills and part of Prairie Village, 1,135 people gave Harris $200,000 — but Trump pulled in $300,000 from a mere 257 donors.
Wichita trended a softer shade of blue on the Post map. Its most Harris-supporting ZIP code — 67226, surrounding the Colonel James Jabara Airport — raised $60,000 for the Democrat from 374 donors. Trump took in $50,000 from 271 backers.
In Missouri, the college town of Columbia also predictably went hard for Harris. The bluest ZIP code, 65203, stretching southwest from the city, had 2,063 donors give $300,000 to her campaign. Trump received $100,000 from 489 donors.
In Kansas City, the bluest ZIP code was 64114 — the neighborhood bordering the state line, with West Gregory Boulevard bounding the north and West Minor Drive on the south. Harris received $100,000 from 1,222 donors, while 178 Trump backers gave $40,000.
Mirroring national trends, bigger cities, suburbs and towns across both states donated more money to Democrats than Republicans. Places like Topeka, Manhattan, Hays, Hutchinson and Pittsburg in Kansas all trended powder blue in their giving. So did Missouri locales like Springfield, Joplin, Kirksville, Warrensburg and Rolla.
While much of the Post’s map of Kansas and Missouri is covered in a soft pink indicating a mild advantage for Republicans, there are a few dark red splotches showing a decided preference for Trump — all in southern Missouri. The town of Lebanon, for example, mustered $40,000 for Trump and just $10,000 for Harris. Areas south of Springfield, around Branson and Poplar Bluff also went big for the former president.
What does all this mean?
Possibly less than meets the eye. The Post’s map doesn’t measure, say, the tens of millions of dollars that Charles Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity Action is spending on elections this cycle. And it doesn’t count the folks who still write actual paper checks. It’s online donations only.
So call it a snapshot to gauge the enthusiasm and intensity of support for a campaign. By that count, Kamala Harris has momentum at her back.
At the very least, the Post map is a reminder that for however much Republicans dominate the politics and governance of both states, there are still countless people on both sides of the border who prefer another path — and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.
Joel Mathis is a regular Kansas City Star and Wichita Eagle Opinion correspondent. Formerly a writer and editor at Kansas newspapers, he served nine years as a syndicated columnist.
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 6:08 AM with the headline "Kamala Harris raising more money than Donald Trump in these Kansas, Missouri ZIP codes | Opinion."