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What a fundraiser scandal tells us about the Kansas GOP

Participants at a fundraiser for the Johnson County GOP earlier this month took turns kicking, punching and pummeling an effigy of President Biden, leading to bipartisan outrage and demands of resignations. What does the incident say about the Kansas Republican Party and its future?

On March 8, participants in a fundraiser for the Johnson County Republican Party at the Overland Park Convention Center beat up a mannequin that had been adorned with a mask of President Biden.

State party chair Mike Brown and county chair Maria Holiday said the mannequin was part of a display by a vendor in the exhibit area at the event, not something the party supported. They said it showed poor judgment by the vendor, but that they weren’t responsible for that.

And they blamed critics, including former state party chair Mike Kuckelman, for stirring up the controversy.

KCUR's Brian Ellison spoke with Kuckleman about the controversy, and about where he believes the Kansas GOP should be applying their focus in 2024.

Kansas City Today is hosted by Brian Ellison. It is produced by David McKeel and KCUR Studios, and edited by Gabe Rosenberg and Madeline Fox.

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As a host and contributor at KCUR, I seek to create a more informed citizenry and richer community. I want to enlighten and inspire our audience by delivering the information they need with accuracy and urgency, clarifying what’s complicated and teasing out the complexities of what seems simple. I work to craft conversations that reveal realities in our midst and model civil discourse in a divided world. Follow me on Twitter @ptsbrian or email me at brian@kcur.org.
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