Kansas just picked Democrat Cindy Holscher as its next governor, keeping the state blue even after a close contest with Republican Ty Masterson.
The Associated Press called the race on November 13, 2026, after days of counting the provisional ballots and with local officials doing recounts in the closely contested election.
Despite Kansas usually leaning conservative (and some big-name backing for Masterson), Holscher's message connected with voters.
Kansas voters kept Democratic approach
Holscher, who takes over from fellow Democrat Laura Kelly, campaigned hard on boosting public education and pushing back against corporate favoritism.
She also talked about legalizing cannabis and pausing new data centers to help state finances.
Masterson focused on cutting property taxes and supporting agriculture and business, but this time, Kansas voters decided to stick with a Democratic approach.