A battle over red state vs. blue state economics playing out in Kansas

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback
In this file photo, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback gives a speech on January 2, 2012 in Perry, Iowa.
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Kansas Republican Gov. Sam Brownback is witnessing a stinging betrayal from members of his own party during his re-election campaign. Scores of moderate Republican leaders have endorsed his Democratic rival, House Minority Leader Paul Davis.

From NPR:

Just last week, more than 100 of [Republicans] -- all current or former elected officials -- endorsed Davis.

"We are all Republicans but we will always be Kansans first," says former state Sen. Wint Winter Jr., who helped organize the uprising. "We stand today united in the belief that under the current Republican governor Kansas is going in the wrong direction."

At the heart of it? A battle over red state, blue state economics. Brownback implemented what he called a "red-state model" of lower taxes, less government, and more freedom as part of his move to improve the state's economic well-being.

On The Daily Circuit, we look at the latest out of the Kansas race and how it might play out in Minnesota's gubernatorial race too.