Kansas Senate president claims prize to bolster GOP campaign
TOPEKA — President Donald Trump endorsed Senate President Ty Masterson on Sunday in the Republican primary for Kansas governor.
Trump posted to Truth Social the 20-year member of the Kansas Legislature was a “fantastic candidate” and would perform well in the state Trump carried in 2016, 2020 and 2024.
“Ty Masterson has my complete and total endorsement to be the next governor of Kansas,” Trump said.
Masterson lavished praised on Trump in a statement and expressed how honored he was to receive the president’s blessing given a crowded field of Republican candidates for governor.
“President Trump transformed our country by fighting for secure borders, lower taxes, American energy dominance and putting working families first,” Masterson said. “In Kansas, I’ve taken that same approach — leading the fight to cut taxes, stand up to the left’s agenda and defend our values.”
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There is a presumption the Trump endorsement would provide leverage for Masterson heading into the Aug. 4 primary.
Competition for the recommendation had been at the center of the 2026 GOP campaign for governor as Masterson worked to curry favor with the president along with former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and others.
In 2018, Trump endorsed then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who narrowly defeated Colyer in that GOP primary. However, Kobach lost the general election to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who went on to win reelection in 2022.
In the 2026 campaign for governor, Colyer has pointed to Trump’s praise for him eight years ago during a campaign stop in Topeka intended to elevate Kobach’s campaign for governor. In that speech, Trump declared Colyer a “man of incredible integrity and class” and a “great guy.”
Others in this year’s GOP field of gubernatorial candidates are Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, businessman Philip Sarnecki as well as Charlotte O’Hara, Joy Eakins and Stacy Rogers.
The top Democratic Party candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for governor are state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher, both of Johnson County. Corson was endorsed by Kelly and former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, also a Democrat.
In response to the Trump decision, Corson spokesperson Glynnis Harvey said Corson had devoted his campaign to issues Kansas voters cared about while Masterson and other Republicans “spent last year auditioning for Donald Trump.”
Corson’s campaign is about lowering consumer costs, protecting abortion rights and making certain Kansans have access to quality healthcare, she said.
“Trump’s policies have made life harder on Kansans across our state, from driving up costs on farmers, healthcare and at the gas pump,” Harvey said.
Meanwhile, Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass said Masterson prevailed in a “humiliating contest to see who can bow lowest to Donald Trump.”
“Ty Masterson has made his priorities clear. He will put Donald Trump’s political agenda ahead of Kansas families every single time,” Repass said.
Kansas Reflector is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kansas Reflector maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sherman Smith for questions: [email protected]. Follow Kansas Reflector on Facebook and Twitter.
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