Kansas governor 2026

Compare candidates running in this Kansas federal race. Review their positions, voting records, campaign promises, and donor information.

Charlotte O'Hara

Party: Republican

Vicki Schmidt

Party: Republican

Ty Masterson

Party: Republican

Jeff Colyer

Party: Republican

Marty Tuley

Party: Democrat

Cindy Holscher

Party: Democrat

Ethan Corson

Party: Democrat

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Kansas governor

Election: Nov 3, 2026Updated: Apr 10, 2026
lean d★ Flip Potential— Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, DDHQ/The Hill indicate Kansas is defensive for Democrats but the state has voted for Republican presidential nominees consistently

Kansas is one of five Democratic-held governorships up for election in 2026 in states Donald Trump won in 2024, making it critical for Democrats nationally. The race is highly competitive: Kelly's 2022 victory margin was only 2.2 percentage points, and Kansas has been reliably Republican. However, Kelly's popularity (60% approval as of July 2025) and Republicans' crowded primary may create opportunities.

Charlotte O'HaraR
Vicki SchmidtR
Ty MastersonR
Jeff ColyerR
Marty TuleyD
Cindy HolscherD
Ethan CorsonD

Summary

Charlotte O'Hara is from Overland Park and until recently served on the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners. She also served one term in the state House of Representatives from 2011 to 2013. She has a background as a contractor, small business owner, and substitute teacher.

Vicki Schmidt is the current Kansas Insurance Commissioner. Throughout her career in insurance regulation, she claims to have saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars and plans to bring her experience identifying and eliminating government inefficiencies to the governor's office.

Ty Masterson is the President of the Kansas Senate, serving in that leadership role since 2021. He represents the 16th district and has been a state senator since 2009. He is an Andover Republican.

Dr. Jeff Colyer is a 64-year-old surgeon and former governor of Kansas. He served as the 47th governor from January 31, 2018 to January 14, 2019, following Sam Brownback's resignation to serve in the Trump administration. Before becoming governor, Colyer served in both the Kansas House and Senate and as Lieutenant Governor under Brownback from 2011-2018. He is a member of Johnson County and has engaged in international medical missions work.

Marty Tuley is a teacher and fitness trainer from Lawrence, Kansas, positioning himself as a moderate Democrat in the 2026 gubernatorial race. He is the third Democrat to enter the primary.

Cindy Holscher is a Kansas State Senator from Overland Park in Johnson County. She has spent 26 years in Kansas and has been involved in politics for nearly a decade, beginning during the Sam Brownback administration. She was born in Missouri, grew up on a farm, and is a first-generation college graduate. Holscher has served two terms each in the Kansas House of Representatives and State Senate.

Ethan Corson is a 43-year-old Kansas State Senator representing District 7 (Johnson County) since 2021. He earned his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and worked as an attorney in Washington, D.C. for approximately seven years. He later served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, managing a team of 2,200+ employees across 75 countries. In 2019, he returned to Kansas as executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party before being elected to the state Senate in 2020. He is married to Jenna Brofsky and has two sons.

View Charlotte O'Hara's Full Profile →View Vicki Schmidt's Full Profile →View Ty Masterson's Full Profile →View Jeff Colyer's Full Profile →View Marty Tuley's Full Profile →View Cindy Holscher's Full Profile →View Ethan Corson's Full Profile →

Campaign Promises

Economy
  • Oppose state tax incentive packages for sports teams
Other
  • Support direct election of Kansas Supreme Court justices
Economy
  • Bring efficiency and eliminate government waste

No campaign promises listed yet.

Economy
  • Cut taxes and reduce government spending
  • Bring high-paying manufacturing and tech jobs to Kansas
  • Strengthen small businesses and support farmers
Immigration
  • Keep criminal illegal aliens out of Kansas
Education
  • Get the 'woke' out of schools
Public Safety
  • Support law enforcement and keep communities safe
Education
  • Increase public teacher salaries
Healthcare
  • Improve public health by promoting 'farm-to-table' foods
Other
  • Oppose transgender girls competing in girls' sports
Economy
  • Legalize marijuana to fund education and health programs
  • Oppose giving massive tax breaks to out-of-state corporations
Education
  • Increase funding for public schools
Healthcare
  • Protect government programs including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid
Education
  • Implement a new school finance formula ensuring resources for all schools across the state
Economy
  • Create a 'Working Families Agenda' to make Kansas the most affordable state in the country
  • Continue recruiting jobs and businesses to Kansas
Healthcare
  • Make healthcare more affordable and accessible for Kansans

Key Issue Positions

Tax Incentives
Critic of state tax incentive packages
Opposed the bipartisan tax incentive package aimed at convincing Kansas City teams to build new stadiums
Judicial Selection
Support direct election of Supreme Court justices
Support for changing Kansas' unique judicial selection process
Government Efficiency
Identify and eliminate inefficiencies
Claims expertise in cost-saving measures from insurance commission role
Immigration
Strong anti-illegal immigration stance
Supports SB 254, which blocks taxpayer benefits to anyone without government permission to be in the U.S.
Government Efficiency
Cut government waste and inefficiency
Claims to have taken a 'scalpel to wasteful spending' as governor
Alignment with Trump
Strong Trump supporter
Served as Trump's Kansas 2024 campaign chair; campaigned on working with Trump administration
Immigration
Strict immigration enforcement
Oppose benefits for undocumented immigrants
Education and Teacher Pay
Strong support for teacher salary increases
Emphasizes education as key investment for Kansas
School Nutrition
Support for two meals a day in schools
Advocates for student nutrition programs
Education
Strong support for public school funding
Emphasizes education as critical investment
Social Safety Net
Protective of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid
Opposes cuts to social programs
Education Funding
Strong supporter of fully funding public schools and teacher pay increases
Emphasizes education as critical to Kansas' future and competitiveness
Tax Relief
Supports responsible, targeted tax relief for working families
Worked to eliminate food sales tax, reduce property taxes, and remove taxes on Social Security
Economic Development
Aggressive recruiter of new business and jobs to Kansas
Uses federal trade experience to pitch Kansas globally
Bipartisanship
Self-identifies as moderate and collaborative
Worked with conservative state senators on shared priorities like eliminating sales tax for disabled veterans

Top Donors

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No donor data available.

Contradictions

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

Claim: Masterson claims to support efficient government spending
Contradiction: In 2025-2026, the legislature passed budgets that Kelly said would create structural deficits, requiring use of cash reserves. Masterson, as Senate President, supported budget bills that Kelly argued were fiscally irresponsible.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

No contradictions documented.

What Opponents Say

No opponent claims documented.

No opponent claims documented.

Governor Laura Kelly

Masterson and the legislature have abandoned fiscal responsibility and partnership

Kelly's April 2026 statement on veto session

Democratic Governors Association

Colyer is 'Sam Brownback's failed right-hand man'

DGA statement responding to Colyer's 2026 announcement

No opponent claims documented.

Kansas Republican Party

Holscher voted against property tax relief and later endorsed candidates opposing relief, showing inconsistency

GOP criticism of Holscher's legislative voting record during 2025 session

Kansas Republican Party

Corson is more aligned with 'radical Washington Democrats' than Kansas voters

GOP Chair Danedri Herbert's response to Corson's campaign announcement in July 2025

Endorsements

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

Job Creators Networkorganization
Kansas 1st Inc.organization

No endorsements listed.

No endorsements listed.

Governor Laura Kellyindividual
Former Governor Kathleen Sebeliusindividual