Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher won the race for Kansas governor, keeping the executive office blue in a state that leans heavily Republican.
Holscher defeated Republican Ty Masterson, the president of the state Senate who held an endorsement from President Trump, according to a race call by the Associated Press.
Of the 36 gubernatorial elections across the country, Kansas was viewed as the most likely contest to flip from Democratic control to the GOP. The decisive race call arrived after several days of tabulating provisional ballots alongside local officials conducting recounts in the fiercely contested election.
Current Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited after serving for eight years in a state featuring a deeply Republican legislature and an electorate that routinely votes for Republicans in presidential contests.
Holscher, 57, built her campaign around populist themes, pledging to challenge sweetheart deals benefiting billionaires. She tied Masterson directly to his legislative record in the state Senate when it passed tax cuts under former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback that triggered severe budget crises before later being repealed.
Holscher opposed school vouchers, advocating instead for increased funding for public schools. That stance directly contrasted with Masterson, who backed voucher programs.
She also proposed a moratorium on new data centers and championed the legalization of cannabis as a mechanism to generate state revenue. Masterson, 57, campaigned on lowering property taxes and said that his faith informed all of his decisions, including those in the political arena.
He pledged to become the most pro-agriculture, pro-business, and pro-oil and gas governor the state has ever witnessed. During the campaign, Masterson characterized Holscher as the most radical, liberal, socialist Democrat ever to appear on a Kansas ballot.
“He likes to throw around a whole lot of labels,” Holscher said. “You know why? Because that’s all he’s got.”
Earlier coverage: Democrat Cindy Holscher Defeats Republican Ty Masterson for Kansas Governor
