State executive race · November 3, 2026
Governor
The governor is Kansas's chief executive, who oversees state agencies, proposes the state budget, signs or vetoes bills and appoints Kansas Supreme Court justices.
4-year term. Open seat: no incumbent is running. Open seat: Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is term-limited. Governor and lieutenant governor run together on a joint ticket. No Libertarian or independent ticket for governor appears on the official candidate list. Sharilyn Ray has been reported as an independent write-in candidate; certification of write-in candidates had not been confirmed at the time of research (the write-in filing deadline is Oct. 23, 2026).
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Cindy Holscher
State Senator, District 8; Kansas Senate Minority WhipRunning mate: KC Ohaebosim (Lieutenant Governor)
Cindy Holscher is a former Sprint executive who has represented a Johnson County district in the Kansas Senate since 2021, after two terms in the Kansas House, and serves as Senate minority whip. She is campaigning on the cost of living, property tax relief, Medicaid expansion, public school funding and a pause on new data centers.
Ty Masterson
President of the Kansas Senate; State Senator, District 16Running mate: Jeff Klemp (Lieutenant Governor)
Ty Masterson has served in the Kansas Senate since 2009 and as its president since 2021, after serving on the Andover City Council and in the Kansas House. He is campaigning on lowering property taxes and other costs and on making Kansas a place where future generations can afford to stay.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Cindy Holscher Democratic | Ty Masterson Republican |
|---|---|---|
| Abortion | Supports abortion rights; opposed the 2022 constitutional amendment on abortion and the 2026 amendment to elect Supreme Court justices. | Has opposed abortion rights and supported the 2022 constitutional amendment; says voters want fewer abortions, no late-term abortions and no taxpayer-funded abortions. |
| Economy & Jobs | Supports raising the state minimum wage to $16, higher in high-cost areas, and paid sick leave. | Campaign promotes a "Kansas Ratepayer Protection Pledge" to keep costs created by outside interests off families, farms and small businesses. |
| Education | Supports fully funding public schools and special education and making school lunch free for every student. | Supports using state tax dollars for private school options and requiring third-graders to show reading proficiency before advancing. |
| Energy & Environment | Calls for a pause on new large data centers until guardrails are in place; voted for the 2025 data center tax exemption and says public criticism led her to reconsider. | Defends the 2025 data center sales tax exemption; pledges that data centers pay their full electricity costs, opposes eminent domain for them, and says local governments should decide on projects. |
| Taxes | Would lower residential property tax assessment rates and add exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans. | Sought a 2026 constitutional amendment capping annual increases in a property's assessed value at 3%. Opposed the 2017 repeal of the state's 2012 income tax cuts; says future revenue growth should be used to lower income tax rates further. |
| Cannabis | Supports legalizing recreational and medical cannabis, saying it would raise money for schools and public services. | No public position found yet |
| Elections & Democracy | No public position found yet | Supported the 2026 constitutional amendment, rejected by voters, to elect Kansas Supreme Court justices directly and abolish the nominating commission. |
| Health Care | Supports expanding Medicaid; says she would bar insurers from denying care a doctor prescribed and speed up approvals. | No public position found yet |