Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher was declared the winner of the Kansas gubernatorial race on Tuesday, defeating Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson by a margin of 50.3% to 49.7%, according to the Associated Press. The race was called at 5:43 p.m. on Election Day after days of counting provisional ballots and local recounts in the closely contested election.
Holscher succeeds term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who served eight years in a state with a heavily Republican legislature and a history of voting Republican in presidential elections. Masterson, the president of the Kansas Senate, had been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, who won Kansas by 16 points in the 2024 presidential election.
Key policy contrasts emerged in the campaign. Holscher, 57, ran on a populist platform, promising to oppose "sweetheart deals" for billionaires and tying Masterson to a 2012 tax cut passed under former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback that led to budget crises and was later repealed. She opposed school vouchers, advocating for increased support for public schools, and called for a moratorium on new data centers and the legalization of cannabis to generate state revenue.
Masterson, also 57, campaigned on lowering property taxes, emphasizing his faith as an influence on his decisions, and positioning himself as the "most pro-ag, pro-business, pro-oil and gas governor" in Kansas history. He labeled Holscher as "the most radical, liberal, socialist Democrat ever" on a ticket in Kansas, to which she responded, "He likes to throw around a whole lot of labels. You know why? Because that's all he's got."
Campaign dynamics and external factors played a role in the outcome. Polling had indicated a close race in the final stretch, driven in part by voter frustrations with Trump and his handling of the economy. Democrats also benefited from increased national attention on Kansas as its Senate race tightened. Despite a nearly 3-to-1 Republican advantage in general election ad spending, according to ad-tracking firm AdImpact, Holscher secured victory.
Holscher aggressively tied Masterson to Trump during the campaign, arguing that Masterson’s alignment with the former president could lead to policies harmful to Kansas, such as tariffs affecting farmers and beef imports impacting ranchers. She stated she would seek areas of collaboration with the administration while pushing back against policies she opposed. Masterson attempted to distance himself from Trump on his campaign website and materials, though his connection to the former president remained evident, including a joint campaign appearance in Kansas the weekend before Election Day.
Additional campaign developments included scrutiny over past remarks. Holscher faced scrutiny during the campaign over resurfaced 2023 social media posts in which she suggested Jesus Christ could have been transgender, comments made during a debate over proposed legislation restricting drag performances in front of children.
The race was one of 36 gubernatorial elections nationwide and was seen as the most likely to flip from Democratic to Republican control. Kansas, a state where registered Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly 2 to 1, has voted Republican in the last three presidential elections but has elected Democratic governors in the past two cycles.