New Poll Finds Most Kansans View Public Education Negatively-And That's an Opportunity for Republicans in the Election

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Kansas parents are tired of the failing public education system. A new poll shows that 51% of likely Kansas voters view public education negatively, and the issue is a winning topic for Republicans in the Kansas governor's race.

The 1776 Project PAC commissioned the poll from J.L. Partners. Since 2021, the 1776 Project has fought to elect conservatives to school boards, endorsing over 200 winning candidates. Their new poll proves that education is now a winning conservative issue.

"Our new polling proves what parents have long told us: They disapprove of the current public education system, they want new disciplinary actions in schools, and they oppose AI and cell phones in the classroom," says 1776 Project PAC founder Ryan Girdusky.

"Even moreso, the poll makes clear that education is a winning issue for Republicans, especially in the competitive gubernatorial primary."

Key Findings from the poll:

The Kansas Governor's Race Is Republicans' Election to Lose

• The Republican Party has an early, double-digit advantage in the Kansas gubernatorial race. They lead by 11 points, 47% to 36% on a generic ballot.
• The GOP primary is wide open. The overwhelming majority (78%) are unsure how they would vote, with no candidate getting more than 10%.

Education Is a Major Opportunity for Republicans

• Across likely voters in the general election, sentiment towards Kansas public education is negative, with more than half (51%) viewing it negatively and 41% positively.
• 83% of Kansas GOP primary voters support stricter disciplinary actions for students who repeatedly interrupt the classroom and are violent towards other students and teachers.
• 74% of GOP primary voters oppose cell phones in the classrooms.
• The American Federation of Teachers receives a net negative view among Kansan voters, with 38% taking an unfavorable view and 26% a positive one.

AI Opposition Is a Winning Message–Across Party Lines

• The majority (63%) of voters are uncomfortable with students using AI for classwork.
• There is also hostility to the idea of technology companies collecting children's data from apps used in schools and selling them to third-party vendors: 90% are concerned by this practice, with only 8% unconcerned.

J.L. Partners polled 1,009 likely voters in Kansas for the poll, which the 1776 Project commissioned.

ABOUT THE 1776 PROJECT PAC
The 1776 Project PAC is committed to reigniting the spark and spirit of that revolution by reforming school boards across America.

Since progressive-led efforts to lockdown schools during the COVID epidemic, test scores have declined, parents and students are increasingly worried about violence both in and out of the classroom, while politicians and activists push their own ideology.

The 1776 Project PAC is fighting to change this. Since 2021, they have endorsed over 200 winning conservative school board candidates.

ABOUT RYAN GIRDUSKY
Ryan Girdusky is the founder of the 1776 Project PAC, which focuses on supporting conservatives running for school board elections. The 1776 Project PAC has supported 352 races and won more than 200 school board seats across the country. As a political consultant, Girdusky has advised campaigns for Senator JD Vance and Representative Brandon Gill, among others. He is the author of They're Not Listening: How the Elites Created the Nationalist Populist Revolution. 

SOURCE 1776 Project PAC