Democrat Cindy Holscher has narrowly won the Kansas governor's race, extending her party's grip on the top office in a state where Republicans outnumber Democrats nearly two to one.
The result was projected Thursday. Holscher, a state senator, defeated Republican state Senate President Ty Masterson to succeed two-term Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Kansas has gone Republican by double digits in each of the last three presidential elections, yet the contest tightened late as voters grew frustrated with President Donald Trump and his handling of the economy.
Holscher pulled it off while outspent nearly three to one in general election advertising. She built her closing argument around tying Masterson to Trump, warning that he would never push back on policies hurting Kansas, from tariffs squeezing farmers to imported beef undercutting ranchers. Masterson, who carried Trump's endorsement, tried to carve out distance from the president in his campaign materials, though Trump traveled to Kansas on the final weekend before Election Day to appear at his side.
Data centers became an unexpected flashpoint. Holscher called for a statewide pause on new construction until firm guardrails protect communities and budgets, while Masterson opposed a moratorium and defended a 2025 sales tax exemption for data center investments that he voted for.