Kansas City Today

It was a very good election for Republicans in Missouri, where Attorney General Eric Schmitt was elected by a double-digit margin to the U.S. Senate, and the state auditor election result means the GOP now holds every statewide office in the state.

But in Kansas, a different result with Democrats able to point to some significant victories, even with some at least one major race still too close to call.

Brian Ellison recaps election results on both sides of the state line with KCUR news director Lisa Rodriguez and Kansas News Service editor Stephen Koranda.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Kansas and Missouri voters are heading to the polls, which open at 6 a.m. in Missouri and 7 a.m. in Kansas. Most of the drama this November is on the Kansas side, with competitive races for Kansas governor and in the Kansas 3rd Congressional District.

In Missouri, how will Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine's self-funded U.S. Senate campaign fare against Eric Schmitt in a predominantly Republican state? And will Missouri vote to legalize weed and force Kansas City to increase police funding?

KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Up To Date host Steve Kraske about the races we're watching on both sides of the state line, and what this year's election says about the state of our democracy. You can find election results on KCUR.org after polls close.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Frank White has been Jackson County Executive since 2016. This year, he's being challenged by Republican Theresa Galvin, the 6th District Legislator who was elected in 2014.

One of the biggest issues in the race has been White's handling of the 2019 property value assessments. Many citizens, including Galvin, criticized his administration’s lack of action to correct assessment errors.

Up To Date's Steve Kraske spoke to both candidates about how they might approach property tax assessments moving forward.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Missourians will soon decide whether Republican Eric Schmitt or Democrat Trudy Busch Valentine will represent the state in the U.S. Senate. Compared to the wild primary season, the general election battle has been somewhat tame — perhaps a signal that the outcome could mirror the rightward trajectory of the state. But as St. Louis Public Radio’s Jason Rosenbaum reports, Missouri Democrats are not going to give up without a fight.

Democrats used to be competitive in Missouri’s 6th Congressional District, about 20 years ago. Now, finding a Democrat in public office is becoming harder and harder. KCUR’s Carlos Moreno tells us how voters there have always been conservative, but the political labels have shifted.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

With the amount of air time that President Joe Biden and former Gov. Sam Brownback are getting in the lead up to Kansas' 3rd congressional district election, you'd think they were running. Republican Amanda Adkins has blamed incumbent Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids for the cost of gas and groceries, while Davids is focusing on Adkins' "extreme" views on abortion. KCUR's Frank Morris reports.

The legalization of recreational marijuana is on the ballot in Missouri this midterm election, but the passage of Amendment 3 isn't as clear-cut as many think. STLPR's Sarah Kellogg explains what legal marijuana would look like in Missouri and how it affects those with past drug offenses.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

The Kansas Board of Education is considering a plan to make Native American mascots a thing of the past. Tribal leaders say the change is overdue. But as Suzanne Perez of the Kansas News Service reports, about two dozen schools and the communities that support them aren’t likely to drop their mascots unless they’re forced to.

It’s hard to find an issue that has divided people the way education has over the last few years, with headlines dominated by fights over how COVID-protocols, race education, and LGBTQ issues are handled in schools. As KCUR’s Jodi Fortino reports, a heated Board of Education race in Johnson County's 3rd District is turning on what role the government should have in schools.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Sixteen years ago, Democrat Wes Shoemyer defeated a flood of Republican money and high-profile Republican political figures to win Missouri’s 18th Senatorial District contest, one of the most competitive in Missouri. After his 2010 loss for re-election, the counties that make up the 18th District aggressively trended toward the Republican Party.

As Jason Rosenbaum of St. Louis Public Radio reports, the collapse of the Missouri Democrats across the northern third of the state is more than a story about a political shift. It’s about an existential crisis for a party that used to control Missouri politics.

Kansas’ 39th House District is predominantly white and for decades has elected a Republican candidate. But new district borders and changing demographics have a first-time African American candidate optimistic about her chances. KCUR’s Noah Taborda has the story.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Kansas' 37th House District made headlines in 2020 when 19-year-old Aaron Coleman beat an incumbent in the Democratic primary. But Coleman's single term was mired in scandal — with accusations of revenge porn and domestic violence and an arrest for driving under the influence — making some feel that the district hasn't been represented correctly. KCUR's Nomin Ujiyediin highlights the two political newcomers that are hoping to make up for lost time.

The debate around abortion access has trickled into local government. Towns across the Midwest and South have moved to ban abortions with consequences ranging from fines to threat of lawsuit. Harvest Public Media's Elizabeth Rembert reports on abortion bans aimed at within city limits.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

A Democratic candidate is hoping to unseat the incumbent Republican in a race for the Missouri Senate. As KCUR’s Celisa Calacal reports, the political newcomer faces daunting obstacles taking on a legislative leader.

For many people, fall is marked by taking trips to the pumpkin patch, getting lost in a corn maze or catching a hay ride. All of those activities are a part of the booming “agricultural tourism” industry. As Harvest Public Media’s Xcaret Nuñez reports, welcoming visitors to their farms is also a source of income for producers.

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Democrats have held the Kansas House's 35th District seat for 30 years, but that winning streak is in peril this November. Democratic incumbent Broderick Henderson is not seeking reelection, opening the door for Republican Sam Stillwell to flip the seat. KCUR's Zach Perez has the story.

Charles Wheeler was mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, from 1971 to 1979. Wheeler oversaw the opening of Kansas City International Airport and helped spearhead the development of Kemper Arena, the Bartle Hall convention center and the University of Missouri-Kansas City medical school. KCUR's Alex Smith tells his story.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Nomin Ujiyediin. It is produced by Byron Love, Trevor Grandin and KCUR Studios and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Lisa Rodriguez.

You can support Kansas City Today by becoming a KCUR member: kcur.org/donate

Contact the show at [email protected]. Follow KCUR on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news.