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What They’re Saying About KS-04: “Blame Sam Brownback”
The big elephant in the room after last night’s closer-than-expected special election? Kansas Governor Sam Brownback.
Everyone agrees – Brownback’s toxic unpopularity played a big factor in this race, and it will be hard for any Kansas Republican running for governor in 2018 to escape it.
Governor Brownback is deeply unpopular with an approval rating of 27%. Brownback economics crippled the state’s budget, and the governor is single handedly blocking insurance for 150,000 Kansans through Medicaid expansion.
Brownback’s failed policies will weigh heavily on any Republican running in Kansas from this point forward.
Below are highlights of the coverage:
Wichita Eagle: “In Kansas, the outcome suggests Gov. Sam Brownback remains a political liability. The second-term governor is deeply unpopular across the political spectrum.”
Associated Press: “The Kansas result also reflected blowback against the state’s unpopular Republican governor Sam Brownback.”
NY Times: “A district where Mr. Trump remains relatively popular but where Gov. Sam Brownback has become a weight on the party.”
Washington Post: “Sam Brownback, the toxically-unpopular governor, had a lot to do with the tightness of the race.”
Chris Cillizza, CNN: “If Ron Estes loses or comes close to losing in KS-04, Trump will get blamed. But Sam Brownback probably deserves more blame.”
Politico Magazine: “And the biggest quirk in Kansas was the Republican deadweight of its governor, Sam Brownback.”
New York Magazine: “Without question, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s unpopularity (with many Republicans as well as Democrats) had a lot to do with the struggles of Estes.”
Politico: Swing in votes “driven by an energized Democratic base looking to strike back against Trump — and Kansas’ unpopular Republican governor, Sam Brownback.”
Salon: “Blame Sam Brownback”
Daily Beast: “If the Republican wins narrowly tonight as expected, it will be less about Donald Trump than about Sam Brownback.”
Jeff Blehar, Decision Desk: “It’s game over in #KS04. The lead for Estes (R) will only increase from here. Tighter game than expected, and thank Sam Brownback for that.”
Eli Yokley, Morning Consult: “The GOP governor of KS Has Split the GOP in Two.”
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