I’d like to introduce you all to a most remarkable creature: the mossy leaf-tailed gecko.

This little lizard proves the infinite adaptability of nature, the ability of any species given enough time and incentive to wholly ensconce itself within its surroundings.

If you browse online photos of the gecko (also known by the scientific name uroplatus sikorae), you’ll be hard-pressed to find it. That’s because the lizard blends in so perfectly with surrounding vegetation. Not only can its bark-like skin change color, but that skin hangs off its body in tiny flaps, perfectly matching tree branches.

The mossy leaf-tailed gecko lives only in Madagascar and has seen its numbers decrease. It reminds me of another threatened species: the Kansas moderate Republican.

Like the mossy leaf-tailed gecko, moderate Republicans have become adapt at all but vanishing from public view. Surrounded by other Republicans — you can think of them as the trees of the tropical rainforest in this analogy — the moderate Republican changes color, deploys its dermal flaps and blends right in. This might mean voting with leadership on bills particularly important to them. This might mean keeping a low profile when problematic legislation hits the floor.

Reptile expert Dave Bagshaw‘s words apply as easily to these good-hearted GOP members as they do to high-maintenance lizards: “They are very cryptic species that you would quite easily walk past in the in the forest.”

This arrangement serves conservative Republicans perfectly well. After all, if they can’t see or hear moderates, why should they be concerned? For them, life in the forest continues on its merry way.

It works out less well for the modern Republicans. Sure, camouflaging themselves to blend in with their surroundings ensures their survival. In politics, sometimes that’s enough. But when it actually comes down to passing legislative priorities and doing the best possible for constituents, these lawmakers may find themselves staring into the mirror late at night wondering about what life choices brought them to Topeka.

No one should deceive themselves about the difficulty.

“There’s always pressure, especially on contentious issues and close votes, and leadership has many ways to make their priorities clear,” said Mary Jo Taylor, a former Republican state senator who served from 2017 to 2021. She now works with the Kansans First group, which works to support moderate voices. “So do the lobbyists and partisan political activists, and there’s a cost to not being seen as a ‘team player’ by folks in Topeka.”

Moderates serving in today’s polarized climate have to decide whether to pay that cost.

If you view changes to the Republican Party over the past eight years as an aberration, perhaps you think this is just a phase. In that case, one might be tempted to indulge a few wacky notions until the fever breaks. You don’t find the cost too expensive. Perhaps you believe the existence of thoughtful voices will encourage other civic-minded individuals to run for and win office. This is likewise an appealing idea, and one that makes the cost seem affordable.

But perhaps neither of these perspectives pan out. Perhaps the party continues to degrade as louder and cruder voices gain ever-greater sway. What then?

Here’s my take: Mossy leaf-tailed geckos fill an ecological niche. In times of conservative supermajorities in the Kansas House and Senate, hidden moderate Republican lawmakers similarly need to make their presence imperceptible. Now and then, they can dart out to do a bit of good.

But to truly change Kansas for the better, moderates must stand out from the background and be willing to disarm and shock potential opponents with their brilliant plumage. That requires greater numbers.

“All you have to do is look at the difference between what is being pushed now and what we passed during my first two years in the senate,” Taylor said, taking us back to a time when the Legislature actually passed Medicaid expansion but faced a veto from then-Gov. Sam Brownback.

“Back then, when we had a near-even split between moderates and conservatives in the Republican caucus, we passed Medicaid expansion,” she said. “Republican lawmakers spoke in favor of it. Then when we couldn’t get the votes to override the veto, we tried a new compromise. Now they have a ‘hearing’ and call it a session while thousands of Kansans go without health insurance. I think that speaks for itself.”

With sufficient support, moderates can change the political calculation in Topeka. They can flex their muscles. They can make their presence and priorities known.

In the meantime, keep a close eye on those tree branches in the forest of Kansas politics.

Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.