Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher secured the governorship by defeating Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson after days of provisional ballot counts and local recounts. Masterson ran with an endorsement from President Trump and focused his platform on lowering property taxes and instituting school vouchers. Holscher countered with populist messaging, advocating for cannabis legalization to generate revenue while opposing school vouchers and billionaire tax incentives. Additionally, Holscher campaigned on halting new data centers and criticized Masterson for previous budget crises stemming from Sam Brownback's tax cuts.
Key points
Democrats maintained executive control of Kansas despite the state historically favoring…: Democrats maintained executive control of Kansas despite the state historically favoring Republican candidates in presidential and other statewide races.
The victory repelled national Republican efforts to flip what analysts considered the sin…: The victory repelled national Republican efforts to flip what analysts considered the single most vulnerable Democratic-held governorship in the country.
The outcome ensures a Democratic successor to term-limited Gov. Laura Kelly, who led the…: The outcome ensures a Democratic successor to term-limited Gov. Laura Kelly, who led the state for the preceding eight years.
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Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher will hold onto the Kansas governor's office for her party after defeating Republican Ty Masterson, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
Masterson, the president of the state Senate, was endorsed by President Trump. Of the 36 elections for governor across the country, Kansas was seen as the most likely to flip from Democratic to Republican control.
The race call came after days of counting the provisional ballots and with local officials doing recounts in the closely contested election.
Current Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited after serving for eight years in a state with a heavily Republican legislature and that usually votes for Republicans for other offices and in presidential elections.
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Holscher, 57, ran a campaign with notes of populism, promising to fight "sweetheart deals" for billionaires. She tied Masterson to his work in the state Senate when it passed a tax cut under former Republican…
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