Democrats

Not only did Democratic candidates get blown out in statewide contests for governor and the U.S. Senate, the party failed to gain any ground in the Missouri General Assembly. The election showed that the party continues to falter in rural and exurban areas.

Missourians have backed ballot items supported by Democrats in the past decade — including abortion rights, expanded Medicaid, legalized marijuana and labor rights — while also giving Republicans unfettered control over state government.

Missouri residents voted to legalize abortion, overturning one of the most restrictive abortion bans in the nation. They also voted to raise the minimum wage and send Josh Hawley back to the U.S. Senate. In Kansas, voters reelected Sharice Davids to the U.S. House. Plus, Kansas City and Johnson County voters made big decisions about their top law enforcement officials.

Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Missouri and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Kansas (although Johnson County opens an hour earlier!). With the U.S. presidential race at the top of the ticket, and a critical abortion rights amendment plus statewide and congressional races below, it's a stacked election. We break down the races on both sides of the state line.

In the race to be Missouri's next governor, Democrat Crystal Quade says she'll work across political differences to make Missourians' lives better. She shares her thoughts on issues Missouri voters are concerned with ahead of the November election. Plus: We bring you political headlines from across the metro.

An increasingly popular way for political campaigns to connect to voters is through text messaging. And while you may find them annoying — they're probably working. Plus, Kansas Democrats are hoping to flip enough seats in the state Legislature to get rid of the Republican supermajority.

World renowned crop artist Stan Herd completed his images of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz on Sunday, on a farm near the Kansas River in north Lawrence.

After a week of festivities in Chicago, the Democratic National Convention came to a close last night as Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for president. We spoke with a Missouri delegate and a rhetoric professor to recap the event.

Special tracks for each state and territory were played during Tuesday night's DNC roll call. Kansas representatives chose a classic song, while Missouri picked one from a newer superstar.

Missouri and Kansas voters went to the polls Tuesday for a number of primary elections. Among the winners was U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Lucas Kunce, who faces an uphill battle to unseat Republican incumbent Josh Hawley in November. He joined KCUR's Up To Date to talk about the race.

Missouri state Rep. Crystal Quade and Springfield businessman Mike Hamra are both running for governor as Democrats, and although either would be the underdog in November, they could benefit from a proposed amendment to legalize abortion. Plus: Rep. Sam Graves is heavily favored to retain his seat representing Missouri’s 6th District, even as some critics say he’s lost touch with constituents.

In the Democratic primary for Missouri governor, the frontrunners are House Minority Leader Crystal Quade — who leads in name recognition after years in state politics — and businessman Mike Hamra — who has a serious fundraising advantage.