If a blue wave reaches Kansas this November, Jeanna Repass will have helped lay the groundwork.
As chair of the Kansas Democratic Party, Repass is working to turn enthusiasm into something that wins elections: candidates on the ballot, money behind their campaigns and an organization that gets voters to the polls.
The Johnson County resident became the first Black woman elected to lead Kansas Democrats in 2023, following her impressive, but unsuccessful 2022 campaign for secretary of state. Now she is helping steer the party through an election with statewide offices, all four congressional seats and a U.S. Senate seat at stake.
Tall, wearing her signature high heels and carrying herself with confidence, Repass makes an impression. Spend a little time with her, though, and her warmth comes through just as clearly.
Her work takes her beyond Democratic strongholds into rural communities where building relationships is essential—and where finding someone willing to run as a Democrat has often been a challenge.
This year, Repass says, recruitment has been a brighter spot. More candidates are stepping forward, giving voters choices in places where Republicans have often faced no Democratic opposition.
She points to the quality of the candidates, along with stronger fundraising, as reasons for optimism. Repass says she raised money to add a full-time organizer to the state party staff. That investment has helped build the operation behind the candidates: stronger county parties, trained volunteers and sustained contact with voters.
Running campaigns isn’t cheap. Neither is running a political party. More resources mean more capacity to support candidates and reach voters.
That effort was visible during the party’s seven-stop bus tour Oct. 24–25. Its published route ran through Topeka, Abilene, Hays and Dodge City before reaching Wichita Sunday morning, then continuing to Pittsburg and Shawnee.
One major goal or Democrats this election cycle is breaking Republicans’ veto-proof majority in the Kansas House. Republicans hold 88 of its 125 seats; 84 votes are needed to override a governor’s veto. Democrats need a net gain of five seats to put that threshold beyond Republicans’ reach alone.
But the veto proof majority doesn’t mean much if Kansans don’t elect a Democrat to the state house. That’s something Kansans have done quite regularly, but with Gov. Laura Kelly unable to run again due to term limits, Kansas Dems really need a win from candidate Cindy Holscher.
Despite prior statewide success on in the governor’s race, statewide math remains challenging. October registration figures put Republicans at roughly 902,000 voters, Democrats at 522,000 and unaffiliated voters at 579,000. Winning requires Democrats to reach beyond their own party—and gives unaffiliated voters considerable influence.
U.S. Senate nominee Adam Hamilton added energy to Kansas Democrats, when his campaign reported raising more than $1 million within days of entering the race. However, sustaining that excitement requires the less-visible organizing work Repass and others do every day.
Repass also points to something worth recognizing about Kansas: both major political parties are led by Black women. She and Republican Party Chair Danedri Herbert have different political visions, but Repass sees their leadership as a positive reflection on the state.
No chair can create a blue wave single-handedly. Repass’s role is to help make sure Kansas Democrats are ready to catch one.
As Election Day approaches, The Community Voice will bring you short presentations by Repass and Democratic candidates, recorded during the bus tour’s Wichita stop. Hear about their priorities, their differences with their opponents and what’s at stake. Not much longer than a campaign commercial—but with more substance to help you decide. Worth your time.
Black Women Lead Both Major Parties in Kansas
Both major political parties in Kansas are led by Black women: Democratic Chair Jeanna Repass and Republican Chair Danedri Herbert. Herbert, of Gardner, is a Kansas State University graduate and communications director for Attorney General Kris Kobach. A former journalist, she was elected Republican chair in March 2025. Repass sees their leadership, despite their political differences, as a positive reflection on Kansas.
