The stupendous shellacking of Kris Kobach

The GOP gubernatorial nominee is uniquely awful. And Kansas' Republican electorate sent him packing.

Kris Kobach.
(Image credit: Illustrated | AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, str33tcat/iStock)

What's the matter with my home state of Kansas? Not much, as it turns out.

On Tuesday night, Kris Kobach — known nationally for a combination of xenophobia and voter suppression — was roundly defeated in his campaign for governor by Democrat Laura Kelly. It's news that should resonate beyond the state's borders, providing a signal that even the deepest-red regions of the country have limits to the kinds of excesses they will tolerate from Republican extremists.

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Joel Mathis, The Week US

Joel Mathis is a freelance writer who has spent nine years as a syndicated columnist, co-writing the RedBlueAmerica column as the liberal half of a point-counterpoint duo. His work also regularly appears in National Geographic, The Kansas City Star and Heatmap News. His awards include best online commentary at the Online News Association and (twice) at the City and Regional Magazine Association.