Cindy Holscher wins Democratic primary, advances to Kansas governor’s race

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - Kansas state Sen. Cindy Holscher has won the Democratic primary, securing the party’s nomination in the race to become Kansas’ next governor. She will face Republican candidate Ty Masterson in November.

Holscher, who represents Johnson County, defeated fellow state Sen. Ethan Corson and Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog on Tuesday. She first entered the Kansas Legislature in 2016, winning a state House seat from a Republican incumbent before moving to the state Senate in 2021.

The race to replace term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is seen as a top opportunity for Republicans. Although Kansas votes reliably Republican in statewide federal contests, the state has a 60-year streak of electing governors from the opposite party of their immediate predecessors.

Holscher will attempt to break that trend and keep a Democrat in the Kansas Governor’s Office.