Kansas not as conservative as many think

Though the number of Kansans who identify themselves as Republicans or who lean Republican dropped from 52 percent last year to 47 percent, the GOP still has a large advantage over the 34 percent of Kansans who lean Democratic, according to a new Gallup survey. So why are Gov. Sam Brownback and Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., struggling in the polls? One reason is that Kansans aren’t as conservative as many people assume. According to Gallup, about as many Kansans consider themselves moderate (36 percent) as conservative (38 percent). “Additionally, one-fifth of Kansans (20 percent) describe themselves as liberal, meaning a solid majority (56 percent) describe themselves as either moderate or liberal,” Gallup reported. – Phillip Brownlee

This story was originally published October 3, 2014 at 7:06 PM with the headline "Kansas not as conservative as many think."