Several members of the Kansas Republican Party are up in arms over a new plan by some officials to remove its own minority, women's and youth groups from positions of party leadership.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the plan to remove the groups from the state party's executive board "would enhance the power of chairman Mike Brown, who won his position by just two votes earlier this year."
The plan's supporters, however, argue that the move is not a power grab but is rather a way to remodel the state party to be more like the Republican National Committee that features "only... members elected by county precinct committee people."
However, representatives from the groups that could be excluded are not happy about the proposal in the slightest.
“This is something that would set our party back dramatically,” said Ben Sauceda, the chair of the Kansas Republican National Hispanic Assembly. “The party that I worked to build was expansive, was growing, was a party built on ideals that welcome people and encourage people. Not one of fear and not one that is closed.”
Michael Austin, the chair of the Kansas Black Republican Council, meanwhile, said that his group was "deeply disappointed in the decision to eliminate Black leadership representation from the Kansas GOP and trust that State delegates reject this action and commit to unifying and strengthening the party."
