Redistricting moves Bonner, Edwardsville into same legislative districts

Archive for Monday, June 11, 2012

June 11, 2012

The cities of Bonner Springs and Edwardsville now are in the same legislative district and mostly in the same senate district, following Thursday’s federal court redistricting decision.

A panel of three federal judges made the changes late Thursday evening, redrawing lines for congressional, state House, state Senate and State Board of Education districts after the legislature failed to do so by the end of its session. Among the many major shakeups that came with redistricting, Bonner and Edwardsville join surrounding portions of Kansas City, Kan., in House District 33, which is currently represented by Democrat Tom Burroughs.

Bonner was formerly in District 39 with Basehor and western portions of Shawnee; Edwardsville was in District 36 with portions of Kansas City, Kan., to the north.

Rural areas of Bonner Springs in Leavenworth County are now in the 38th District, which also covers Basehor, De Soto and portions of Olathe. Boundaries were changed so greatly in the district that it will not have an incumbent. The former district representative, Republican Anthony Brown, now is in the 10th District.

In the state Senate, the city of Edwardsville was split in two, with 102nd Street serving as the dividing line. The western half of Edwardsville will join Bonner Springs and northeastern Wyandotte County in Senate District 5, currently represented by Democrat Kelly Kultala, while the eastern half will remain in Senate District 6, represented by Republican Chris Steineger.

For the state’s four Congressional seats, Wyandotte County remains in District 3. There was some concern earlier in the year because one plan proposed moving the mostly Democrat county into District 1 with rural, heavily Republican counties.

Instead, the new map adds the northeastern portion of Miami County to District 3 and takes away the eastern portion of Douglas County, which joined District 2.

Both Bonner and Edwardsville are in District 1 for the State Board of Education, a seat which is not up for election this year.

The judges' decision gave politicians just three and a half days to determine where they would be filing for office for this fall’s election — the filing deadline was Monday at noon.

In Senate District 5, candidates are Kultala and Republicans Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth and Mark Gilstrap of Kansas City, Kan.

In District 6, candidates are Steineger and Democrats Vincent Mario Escobar and Pat Pettey, both of Kansas City, Kan.

For House District 33, Burroughs will face Republican Tony Bukaty of Kansas City. In the 38th District, Republicans running are Willie Dove of Bonner Springs and David Anderson of De Soto, while Pete Henderson of Basehor has filed as a Democrat.

Incumbent Kevin Yoder is the only candidate who filed for Congressional District 3.