Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vowed to protect rural Kansas during her State of the State address on Wednesday, arguing that her agenda could deliver for the vast, sparse expanses of the state that have long supported Republicans. The second-term governor returned to familiar issues — responsible tax cuts, funding for public schools, accessible child care and Medicaid expansion. But she made an explicit case that her ideas would serve rural communities. In recent decades, Kansas Democrats have largely found their strength in the state’s urban and suburban areas. On Wednesday Kelly, a former stat…