Gov. Sam Brownback (R) is facing a backlash from moderate Republicans angry over his signature tax cut, seen as plunging the state into deficit, clobbering public services, and driving down the state’s bond rating.
In a sharp rebuke, more than 100 past and present GOP lawmakers are endorsing his Democratic rival, state House minority leader Paul Davis.
Brownback, a former US senator, won election in 2010 on a pledge to turn Kansas into a model of red-state governance, including a record tax cut. But the promised jobs and economic growth never materialized.
After leading Davis in the polls as recently as mid-April, Brownback now trails the challenger by 3.2 percent, according to the RealClearPolitics average of major polls. Davis outpolls Brownback even on traditional GOP issues, such as taxes and government spending.
