New Blue County: For the first time since 1916, Johnson County voted blue

For the first time since 1916, Johnson County voted for a Democratic presidential candidate, following the trend of many other typically Republican strongholds across the nation.

The 2020 election saw key swing states — Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania — who voted for President Donald Trump in 2016, flip and vote for President-Elect Joe Biden, along with long-time red states like Arizona and Georgia voting for Biden as well.

According to Barbara Bollier — Kansas Senator from district seven and U.S. Senate candidate for Kansas — the main reason for the shift in political ideologies is the Republican party becoming less moderate and more conservative.

Bollier was a Republican until 2018, when she switched to the Democratic party. She says her reason for leaving the Republican party was because their ideals no longer aligned with hers.

“I endorsed our current governor Laura Kelly across party lines, because she was the best candidate,” Bollier said. “After she was elected, I realized the Republican party had left my value system and those of the majority of who I represented.”

Echoing the same idea, senior Mac Muehlberger believes that the Prairie Village and Mission Hills area is becoming less conservative and more moderately progressive due to choices made by the current administration.

“The [Republicans], like what we find in Mission Hills, are often more socially progressive while being more fiscally conservative,” said Muehlberger. “This administration has increased debt and the deficit, and I really think it angers these Republicans.”

Bollier also said that her ideals didn’t change, but rather the parties themselves, citing funding for education as a big issue.

This appears to be what happened in Johnson County, as it has been a long-time red county, until this year when it voted blue by a sizeable margin of just over 26,600 votes.

Bollier cited other reasons for possible changes in political beliefs, including party registration.

According to the Johnson County Election Office, Democrats in Johnson County make up 30% of all registered voters in 2020, while Republicans make up 43%. In 2016, Democrats made up 24%, while Republicans made up 46%.

Unaffiliated voters played a large role in Johnson County’s flip in the 2020 election. According to  Chapter 1 of the Kansas Election Standards, voters cannot change their party affiliation during the primaries, which take place June 1 to August 31. Many voters will choose to be unaffiliated because they can declare their party allegiance at the polls during the primary election, which allows for more flexibility. 

In Johnson County, unaffiliated voters make up 25% of all registered voters, according to the Johnson County Election Office. The county followed the national trend where a majority of independent or unaffiliated voters sided with Biden. 

Along with parties changing and party affiliation, the other reason for the shift of political ideologies more turnout from younger voters, according to Bollier.

Muehlberger believes that this current political climate has stimulated a generation of voters that have in the past been notorious for not voting.

“I think this shift is caused by younger people now eligible to vote,” said Muehlberger. “As a result, [they] are voting more progressively.”

According to the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, more than seven million 18-29 year olds voted early or by absentee in the 2020 election, with four million of those voters being from key swing states. In comparison, in 2016 2.5% of Michigan youth voters voted early, while in 2020, 9.4% voted early. This contributed to the record voter turnout in this election.

Young voters also carry more of a weight than many recognize because voters aged 18-29 make up half of the voting population, giving them the power to sway an election. 

Bollier, who graduated from East in 1976, believes youth involvement in politics is very important. After getting her start in politics from student government at East, she encourages others to do the same.

“I realized how important public service was and what an impact you can have, way back when I was a junior in highschool,” said Bollier. “It is important to be involved in student government to learn how those processes work.”