Top Kansas House Democrat’s call for affordability echoes national rhetoric
House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard answers questions during a Jan. 12, 2026, interview in his office at the Statehouse. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)
TOPEKA — House Minority Leader Brandon Woodard summed up Kansas Democrats’ 2026 session goals with a familiar refrain: “affordability, affordability, affordability.”
That message was echoed by Florida House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, Oregon House Majority Leader Ben Bowman and New Jersey Senate Majority Whip Vin Gopal on a webinar to preview the 2026 legislative sessions that was hosted Tuesday by NewDEAL Leaders — a group of center-left state and local leaders.
All panelists aimed to achieve the same goal through slightly different means adapted to their states.
Woodard, a Lenexa Democrat, proposed giving renters 15% of their rent back through a tax rebate, expanding Medicaid, eliminating the copay for free and reduced school lunches and more. Most of his proposals were a reprisal from a Monday press conference where Kansas House Democrats revealed their policy goals for the session.
Woodard talked about Democrats’ road trip last year to hear from constituents — called the “Fight Back Tour” — and what he heard from Kansans.
“After announcing our legislative agenda, there were a couple Republicans who made side comments about how, ‘Oh, here go the Democrats again with their affordability talking points,’ ” Woodard said. “And I was able to push back and say, ‘No, this is what your constituents in your district told us they care about.’ ”
Woodard said the Democrats are geared up to fight for causes Kansans value.
Kansas Republicans’ “No. 1 issue is banning trans Kansans from being able to get driver’s licenses, while we’re focused on making sure that people have access to homes, health care and education,” Woodard said.
Kansas Republicans have outlined a few goals for the session — such as curbing property taxes and embracing President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act — but a bill barring Kansans from changing gender markers on their driver’s licenses received a hearing Tuesday, the second day of the session.
Woodard talked about reframing Democrats’ arguments to fit residents’ values. He wants Democrats to find a “bumper sticker” to start an argument with, rather than getting into the weeds. He used school vouchers as an example.
“Lets stop with what you want the headline to be,” Woodard said. “Because what we know in western and central Kansas is without their public schools, without Friday night lights, they don’t have much of a community. And that’s the heart of their community, they love that.
“So when we say, ‘They want to defund your kid’s football team,’ Kansas voters start listening. If we talk to them for 15 minutes about why vouchers are bad, we’ve already lost the argument.”
A big goal for Democrats this year is to break Republicans’ supermajority in the November midterms. They had the same goal two years ago, but the 2024 election resulted in Republicans expanding their supermajority. Florida had the same results, with Florida Republicans gaining more power.
Even with Florida’s current legislative makeup, Driskell said she is optimistic.
“I do think there’s an opportunity to pick up some seats,” Driskell said. “Because the winds are shifting. I think 2026 is a change environment. It feels akin to 2018 in Florida, when we picked up seven seats in the Florida House.”