Kansas Republicans will narrow down a crowded field for governor in a state primary Tuesday as they look to retake the state's top office after eight years of Democratic rule. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.
Democrats will decide competitive primaries for governor and U.S. Senate, while Kansans across the state will consider whether to amend the state constitution to allow direct election of state Supreme Court justices.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term-limited, making the race to replace her a top takeover opportunity for Republicans. Although Kansas votes reliably Republican in statewide federal contests, the state also has a 60-year streak of electing governors from the opposite party of their immediate predecessors.
The Republican primary for governor will be the latest test of President Donald Trump's influence in Republican primaries this year. He has endorsed state Senate President Ty Masterson over former state Rep. Charlotte O'Hara, financial services executive Philip Sarnecki, state Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab.
The Democratic primary field features state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher and Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog.
Sarnecki has outspent the rest of the field, thanks in large part to the $2.5 million he loaned his campaign. His running mate, data analytics firm founder and former Wichita school board member Joy Eakins, also has deep pockets. She loaned her own gubernatorial campaign $1 million before dropping out and joining Sarnecki's ticket. She has since made a $50,000 contribution to the campaign.
Schwab loaned more than $2.1 million to his campaign and ranked second in overall spending. Masterson was fourth in overall campaign spending, but he outraised Sarnecki and Schwab in donor contributions, excluding candidate loans.
In the Democratic primary, Corson about doubled Holscher and Skoog's combined fundraising and spending. He also has a key endorsement from Kelly.
In the race for U.S. Senate, Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall seeks his party's nomination for a second term and has Trump's endorsement. Marshall won his 2020 primary with about 40% of the vote against former Secretary of State and current state Attorney General Kris Kobach.
He faces a quixotic primary challenge from Arch Naramore, who will appear on ballots under his middle name, Pond. Naramore challenged former U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback for the Republican nomination in 2004, receiving 13% of the vote in a head-to-head matchup.
The crowded, 11-candidate field for the Democratic nomination includes former U.S. Department of Agriculture official Christy Davis, Methodist megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton, real estate developer and entrepreneur Erik Murray, state Sen. Patrick Schmidt, retired financial services executive Sandy Spidel Neumann and marketing professional and Afghanistan War veteran Noah Taylor. Hamilton has outraised the rest of the combined Democratic field.
Republicans have won every U.S. Senate election in Kansas since 1932. No Democrat has ever been elected to the seat Marshall holds since the state first began direct elections of U.S. Senators in 1914.
Voters will also decide a statewide ballot measure that would allow the direct election of state Supreme Court justices and remove the governor's role from the process. Under the current system, a commission of mostly attorneys compiles a list of three finalists to fill a state Supreme Court vacancy, and the governor makes the final choice.
Also on the ballot are contested primaries for U.S. House, secretary of state and state Board of Education.