The Next Kansas Governor

 

After eight successful years, Governor Laura Kelly is term-limited and will pass her responsibilities on to either Cindy Holscher or to Ty Masterson. Early voting begins October 17, so it’s time to learn about the candidates and make an informed choice. 

Cindy Holscher had a career in corporate management at Sprint prior to her election to the Kansas House for a Johnson County district in 2016 and 2018 and to the Kansas Senate in 2020. As governor, she plans a “Lower Costs and Common Sense” agenda: lowering the costs of healthcare, housing, childcare, and groceries; cutting property taxes; expanding Medicaid and protecting Medicare and Social Security; promoting bipartisanship, not extremism; legalizing recreational and medicinal cannabis with revenue going to public schools; creating an independent panel for redistricting and prohibiting mid-decade redistricting to maintain stability and stop extremists from “hijacking” elections; and enacting term limits and limiting corporate PAC money in elections to break the power of entrenched politicians and special interests. Holscher wants a statewide moratorium on data centers and is critical of Donald Trump’s tariffs. 

As a legislator, Holscher founded the Women’s Bipartisan Caucus and helped end the failed Brownback experiment, which drained billions from our schools. She worked across the aisle to reverse school budget cuts and helped improve state finances to put the Kansas economy back on track. Holscher is endorsed by Governor Kelly, former Governor John Carlin, other former and current politicians, The Kansas City Star, and a long list of educators, local government officials, religious leaders, community advocates, child advocates, healthcare providers, and others.

Speaking of her opponent, Holscher said, “Ty Masterson voted against ending the Brownback experiment that gutted public education in Kansas. I worked to end it. Masterson wants to take us back to the Brownback days of underfunded schools and crumbling roads. I won’t let that happen.”

Holscher’s running mate for lieutenant governor is Wichita House member Kelechi Ohaebosim. Holscher’s campaign website is cindyforkansas.com.

Ty Masterson has represented the Andover area in the Kansas House from 2005-2008 and in the Kansas Senate since 2009. He has been Senate president since 2021. As governor, he would support a Homeowners Bill of Rights to protect Kansans from “runaway property taxes, giving taxpayers a stronger voice, and helping them afford to stay in the communities they love.” He also favors a Kansas Ratepayer Protection Pledge that would “protect families, farms, schools, hospitals, and small businesses” from “higher costs created by powerful outside interests.” 

As a legislator, Masterson blocked Medicaid expansion four times; supported $2 billion in tax cuts that eliminated grocery sales taxes and especially benefitted seniors, the wealthy, and data centers; and voted repeatedly to cut education funding. He was a key advocate of the constitutional amendment to elect state Supreme Court judges that was on last month’s primary election ballot; the amendment failed by a large margin. Masterson is endorsed by Donald Trump, the Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee (PAC), a union, and several business organizations.

According to The Wichita Eagle (March 6, 2011), when Masterson ran for Senate in 2008, he said he was trying to pay $150,000 in court-ordered judgments related to his construction business failure. When he filed for bankruptcy in 2011, records show he owed nearly six times as much. The Wichita bankruptcy lawyer representing the creditors said, “I certainly hope Senator Masterson is a better steward of the people’s money than he is his own.”

Masterson’s running mate is Jeff Klemp, state Senator from Leavenworth County. Masterson’s campaign website is mastersonforgovernor.com.