As Senate race draws national attention, unaffiliated voters outnumber Democrats in Kansas – KSHB 41 Kansas City
JOHNSON COUNTY, Kan. — KSHB 41 reporter Lily O’Shea Becker covers Franklin and Douglas counties in Kansas. Share your story idea with Lily.
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More Kansas voters are registered as unaffiliated than Democratic, according to the secretary of state.
“This has been a long-term trend that tracks back to the early, mid-2000s,” said Zach Mohr, a professor in the University of Kansas’ School of Public Affairs and Administration. “Unaffiliated voters have grown as a percentage of all voters, even surpassing, in most states, one of the two dominant parties.”
In 2025, more Americans were registered as political independents than ever before at 45%, according to Gallup.
Between December 2021 and November 2025, the number of Kansas voters registered as unaffiliated grew about 5.9%, from 543,820 to 575,983 voters. Their share of the electorate increased by 0.4% from about 28.4% to 28.8%.
During that same period in Kansas, Republican voter registration increased about 5.3%, while Democratic voter registration was essentially flat, declining by about 0.1%.
Kansas’ total voter registration increased by about 4.5% between December 2021 and November 2025.
As of November 2025, the number of unaffiliated voters in Kansas led the number of Democratic voters by four percentage points:
• Republican: 44.9% (897,243)
• Unaffiliated: 28.8% (575,983)
• Democratic: 24.8% (495,691)
“It seems like every year I either agree with one side or the other side, but realistically both sides have good things,” said Manny Dominguez, a Kansas voter.
Dominguez identifies as a Gen Z unaffiliated voter.
“I feel like not picking a party kind of avoids a lot of conflict, which our generation tends to avoid a lot of conflict,” Dominguez said.
Mohr says that’s a trend he’s also noticed.
“There’s clearly a correlation between age and unaffiliated voters,” Mohr said. “Younger voters, Gen Z voters, tend to be more interested.”
According to Gallup, more Gen Z adults and millennials identified as independent than any other political affiliation in 2025.
“There’s so much fighting in Washington, so most people are tired of it,” said Johnson County voter Larry Nannie, 71. “I’m tired of it, but I’m going to hang in there with the Democrats. A lot of people are going independent. A lot of my friends now are independent.”
The Kansas Senate race no longer leans in incumbent Roger Marshall’s favor and is now a toss-up, according to The Cook Political Report.
Dominguez said he doesn’t usually vote in midterm elections, but what he’s seen on social media motivated him this year. He cast his ballot in Johnson County on Monday.
Dominguez said he pays attention to rallies — like President Donald Trump’s October rally in Wichita — and the Kansas State Fair Senate debate between Sen. Marshall and opponent Adam Hamilton in September.
“I think we need someone that’s going to advocate for us here — whether it’s Democratic, Republican, independent,” Dominguez said. “Right now, I think it’s Democratic.”
Gen Z voter Averi Higginbotham is registered as a Democrat. She cast her vote early in Johnson County.
“Democrats are obviously going to play a large part in how the Democratic votes go, but I think unaffiliated voters, I think voters who just registered for the first time are going to make a big difference,” she said.
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