By Jessica Larson
KU Statehouse Wire Service
TOPEKA – Are you “Feeling the Bern” or are you “With Her?”
Republicans and Democrats in Kansas finally have their chance Saturday to decide who would make a better nominee for commander in chief.
The Kansas Democratic caucuses will be held in 47 different locations around the state on March 5, just on the heels of Super Tuesday. Find your polling place here.
The Kansas Republic caucuses will be held in a few more locations. You can find them here.
Republican hopeful Ted Cruz was in Overland Park on Wednesday and Marco Rubio was planning to come to Kansas on Friday.
Sen. Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka, thinks it could be a neck-and-neck race between presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
“Whether it will be comparable to what happened in 2008 remains to be seen. There were 40,000 Democrats across the state who attended those caucuses,” said Hensley, who is Kansas Senate minority leader. “That is a high number to shoot for this time around, but I’m hoping as many Democrats as possible turn out.”
Eight years and one President Obama later, Hensley thinks this year’s caucuses will give the voters a clean slate in which they can reimagine America with two new candidates.
Sanders plans to visit Lawrence this Thursday, which will be his second visit to Kansas in three weeks. Clinton, along with husband former President Bill Clinton and daughter Chelsea, made her way to Kansas three times in the past year.
Hensley attributes Kansas’ popularity with the candidates to the fight for state delegates.
“We have 34 delegates at stake. Anytime you have a close delegate count, every delegate is important,” Hensley said.
Kerry Gooch, executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party, attributes the popularity of the state to the footing each candidate feels he or she already has here.
“This is one of the very first times that both candidates have had staff on the ground this early in offices across Kansas,” Gooch said.
Democrats in Kansas have an open caucus. This allows Kansans to register to vote the day of the caucus, regardless of party affiliation.
To participate, a person must be eligible to vote in Kansas. He or she must also be 18 by the time of the general election, which falls on Nov. 8.
The Kansas Democratic Party website can provide assistance to anyone needing more information about polling places.
At stake in the Democratic caucus are the majority of the state’s 37 delegate votes for the national convention.
Hillary Clinton won caucuses or primaries in seven states on Super Tuesday. She now has 577 delegates. Bernie Sanders won in four states, including neighboring Oklahoma and Colorado, and has 386 delegates. A candidate needs 2,383 delegates to win the nomination.