After days of counting mail-in and provisional ballots, Holscher’s projected victory means Democrats will have held the governor’s office for 12 consecutive years by the end of her term. In January, she will succeed Gov. Laura Kelly.
In a race with a slimmer margin of victory than both of Kelly’s gubernatorial victories, Cindy Holscher edged past Republican Senate President Ty Masterson and into the governor’s mansion.
Holscher’s election also means her running mate, Wichita House Rep. KC Ohaebosim, will become Lt. Governor. He is the first Black man elected to a Kansas statewide executive office since Edward P. McCabe won the auditor’s race in the 1880s.
Holscher was excited about the vote tally on election night.
“We are confident once all the votes are counted we will win,” Holscher said to supporters in Lenexa.
She was right.
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How the southwest was won
Holscher picked up votes in unfamiliar territory for Democrats; she won in typically conservative Seward County.
President Trump won that southwest Kansas county with 68% of the vote in 2024 and a Democrat has not won Seward County in a gubernatorial election since 1974.
Holscher also tightened the margins in two other southwest Kansas counties, Ford and Finney.
All three of these counties have large immigrant populations affected by September Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
The campaign trail
The Democrat campaigned on a populist message of affordability, public education and pushing back against corporate interests. Holscher also said she wants to fully fund special education, reduce residential property tax assessment rates and legalize recreational marijuana.
Holscher will take office after serving in the state Legislature since 2017. Her victory marks another setback for Republicans, who have been unable to reclaim the governor’s office since Sam Brownback won reelection in 2014.
The two candidates only debated once (at the state fair?) after Masterson decided against more debates, a common tactic for a candidate way in polling. But that polling lead turned out to be a mirage for Masterson.
What’s next?
Masterson could return as Senate president. If he does, he will likely clash with Holscher on many of her priorities.
The morning after election night, Masterson wrote to supporters online, “Last night was a difficult night in Kansas and around the country,” he posted. “But I’m grateful to the hundreds of thousands of Kansans who stood with us.”
Republicans will have a supermajority in the Senate, but will not have a veto-proof supermajority in the House for the first time since 2010. This will force Republicans to work with Democrats to pass legislation or face a veto without the ability to override.
Holscher and lawmakers have a big session ahead of them. Legislators need to replace the state’s school finance formula that expires in July. She’ll also need lawmakers to come together on a property tax relief plan after years of disagreement.
Zach Boblitt reports on the Kansas Statehouse for the Kansas News Service.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of Kansas Public Radio, KMUW, KCUR, KRPS and High Plains Public Radio.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.
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