Who is Ty Masterson and what is Masterson running on in the 2026 Kansas Governor race?

Ty Masterson is the Republican candidate for Kansas governor. President of the Kansas Senate since 2021 (16th District, Andover). Won the Aug 4 GOP primary with 43.2%. Running mate: state Sen. Jeff Klemp. Trump-endorsed. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

The race

• The seat: Open seat (Laura Kelly (D) term-limited).
• Rating: Lean R flip (Cook, Sabato and RealClearPolitics).

Why Masterson is ahead

• Kansas leans Republican, and with Kelly term-limited the GOP sees an open-seat pickup.
• Masterson has Trump’s endorsement and leads the GOP-supermajority Senate.
• Kansas often alternates parties in the governorship, and Democrats have won it with moderate-populist messages on schools and Medicaid. Holscher runs as an anti-establishment populist.
• Holscher beat the Kelly-backed Corson despite being outraised 2-to-1, so she enters the general with less money.

What Masterson is running on

• Property taxes. Would cap annual property-assessment increases at 3% and pass a homeowner ‘bill of rights’ to rein in spending.
• Abortion. Opposes abortion rights and opposed the Kansas Supreme Court’s 2019 ruling on bodily autonomy.
• Courts. Supports direct election of Kansas Supreme Court justices.
• Education. Favors state-funded private-school scholarships and requiring reading proficiency before students advance grades.
• Taxes / immigration. Campaigns on tax cuts, border security and rolling back government overreach.
• Data centers. Defends data-center tax incentives, with added guardrails.

In Masterson’s own words

“I want to make this the greatest state in the nation to live, work and raise a family.”

“Democrats and local governments have gotten in the way of every real fix.”

The other candidates

• Cindy Holscher (D)

Every race

See every Senate and governor race on the ballot, with each candidate’s chance of winning: the 2026 midterms at a glance.