Kansas gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2018
- General election: Nov. 6
- Voter registration deadline: Oct. 16
- Early voting: Oct. 17 - Nov. 5
- Absentee voting deadline: Nov. 6
- Online registration: Yes
- Same-day registration: No
- Voter ID: Photo ID required
- Poll times: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
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| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Kansas |
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| Democratic primary Republican primary General election |
| Election details |
| Filing deadline: June 1, 2018 |
| Primary: August 7, 2018 General: November 6, 2018 Pre-election incumbent(s): Gov. Jeff Colyer (Republican) Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann (Republican) |
| How to vote |
| Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voting in Kansas |
| Race ratings |
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up |
| Ballotpedia analysis |
| Federal and state primary competitiveness State executive elections in 2018 Impact of term limits in 2018 State government trifectas State government triplexes Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018 |
| Kansas executive elections |
| Governor Lieutenant governor |
State Sen. Laura Kelly (D) defeated Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), businessman Greg Orman (I), and four other candidates in the general election on November 6, 2018, for governor of Kansas.
Incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer (R), who took office following Brownback's resignation in January 2018 to serve as ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, ran for a full term but was defeated by Kobach in the August 7 primary, leaving the seat open. Of the state's preceding 10 gubernatorial elections, a Republican candidate won five and a Democratic candidate won five. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) carried the state by a margin of 21 percentage points.
Orman, whose campaign staff included outgoing Gov. Colyer's campaign manager, was identified by political observers as a likely factor in the race's eventual outcome.[1] Political commentators suggested that Orman's presence on the ballot was more helpful to Kobach than to Kelly, noting the breakdown of the state's voter registration. Republicans made up 44 percent of the state's registered voters, while unaffiliated voters made up 31 percent and Democrats made up 24 percent.[2]
Kelly's victory broke the state's Republican trifecta. At the time of the election, Kansas had been under a Republican trifecta since Gov. Sam Brownback (R) took office in 2011. The winner of this election stood to influence the state's redistricting process following the 2020 census. Under Kansas state law, the governor may veto congressional and state legislative district maps proposed by the state legislature.
Third party, independent, and write-in candidates included Libertarian nominee Jeff Caldwell, independent candidate Rick Kloos, and write-in candidates Aaron Coleman and Theophilus Floyd.
Kansas was one of 36 states that held an election for governor in 2018. Democrats gained seven previously Republican-held seats, and Republicans gained one previously independent-held seat. Heading into the 2018 elections, there were 16 Democratic governors, 33 Republican governors, and one independent governor. In 2018, 26 of the 33 states with a Republican governor held a gubernatorial election, while nine out of the 16 states with a Democratic governor held a gubernatorial election. Seventeen of the 36 seats up for election were open seats (four Democratic, 12 Republican, and one independent), meaning that the sitting governor was not seeking re-election. Click here for more information on other 2018 gubernatorial elections.
Click here to read more about the Democratic Party primary election.
Click here to read more about the Republican Party primary election.
Candidates and election results
General election
General election for Governor of Kansas
Laura Kelly defeated Kris Kobach, Greg Orman, Jeff Caldwell, and Rick Kloos in the general election for Governor of Kansas on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Laura Kelly (D) | 48.0 | 506,727 |
 | Kris Kobach (R) | 43.0 | 453,645 | |
 | Greg Orman (Independent) | 6.5 | 68,590 | |
 | Jeff Caldwell (L) | 1.9 | 20,020 | |
 | Rick Kloos (Independent) | 0.6 | 6,584 | |
| Total votes: 1,055,566 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Andrea Costley (Independent)
- Aaron Coleman (Independent)
- JoeLarry Hunter (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Kansas
Laura Kelly defeated Carl Brewer, Joshua Svaty, Arden Andersen, and Jack Bergeson in the Democratic primary for Governor of Kansas on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Laura Kelly | 51.4 | 80,377 |
 | Carl Brewer | 20.2 | 31,493 | |
 | Joshua Svaty | 17.5 | 27,292 | |
 | Arden Andersen | 8.4 | 13,161 | |
| Jack Bergeson | 2.5 | 3,950 | ||
| Total votes: 156,273 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Michael Tabman (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Kansas
The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for Governor of Kansas on August 7, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kris Kobach | 40.6 | 128,832 |
 | Jeff Colyer | 40.5 | 128,489 | |
 | Jim Barnett | 8.8 | 27,994 | |
 | Ken Selzer | 7.8 | 24,804 | |
 | Patrick Kucera | 1.0 | 3,212 | |
| Tyler Ruzich | 0.7 | 2,275 | ||
 | Joseph Tutera Jr. | 0.5 | 1,559 | |
| Total votes: 317,165 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Lieutenant governor
Primary candidates
Democratic primary candidates
Republican primary candidates
- Tracey Mann (Incumbent)
- Phillip Clemente
- Rosie Hansen
- Wink Hartman ✔
- Patricia Reitz
- Jen Sanderson
- Dominic Scavuzzo
Libertarians
- Running mate of Jeff Caldwell
Independent
- Running mate of Rick Kloos
- Running mate of Greg Orman
Candidate profiles
Party: Democratic
Incumbent: No
Political office: Kansas State Senate (Assumed office: 2005)
Biography: After working for a time as an advocate for improved mental health services and patient care, Kelly led the Kansas Recreation and Park Association, a group which calls for increased investment in public parks. As of the 2018 election, Kelly had spent more than 10 years as a ranking member of the state Senate's Ways and Means Committee.
- Kelly highlighted her personal values, saying in her official biography that she "learned the importance of service, integrity and accountability" from her upbringing in a military family. The biography also emphasized Kelly's work in healthcare and public parks before seeking elected office and her education policy while in the state Senate.[3]
- Kelly described a program of tax cuts implemented by former Gov. Sam Brownback (R) as "an attack on who we are as Kansans" and promised to fight back by increasing education funding.[4][5]
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Political office: Kansas Secretary of State (Assumed office: 2011)
Biography: Kobach graduated from Harvard University before receiving a doctorate in political science from Oxford University and a law degree from Yale. He served as a law clerk and taught law at the University of Missouri before accepting a White House Fellowship in the George W. Bush (R) administration. Kobach worked for a time in the U.S. Department of Justice before returning to Kansas, where he led the Republican Party of Kansas before his election as secretary of state in 2010.
- Kobach highlighted his policy positions, with his campaign website billing himself and running mate Wink Hartman (R) as "the conservatives to fix Topeka" and giving top billing to his promises to preserve education funding, maintain a low tax rate, and cap property taxes.[6]
- Kobach said that he would bring experienced leadership to the table, referencing his service in the Department of Justice following the September 11 attacks and his work with President Trump, particularly as vice chairman of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. Kobach also said that his legislation and litigation on immigration and firearms regulations were examples of his past leadership experience.[7]
Party: Independent
Incumbent: No
Political office: None
Biography: After his graduation from Princeton, Orman worked with the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. He later left to work in energy, including with Kansas City Power & Light. In 2004, he founded investment firm Denali Partners, LLC. Orman challenged incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts (R) in the 2014 election as an independent candidate.
- Orman presented his campaign as a potential unifying force, inviting voters to "declare your independence from partisan politics!"[8] He also emphasized his background outside of politics.[9]
- Orman argued that he was well-positioned to win the election, pointing to his fundraising numbers and support from established political figures.[9]
Polls
- See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls
| Governor of Kansas, 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Poll | Poll sponsor | Laura Kelly (D) | Kris Kobach (R) | Jeff Caldwell (L) | Rick Kloos (I) | Greg Orman (I) | Undecided/Other | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||
| Emerson College (October 26-28, 2018) | N/A | 43% | 44% | 0% | 0% | 8% | 4% | +/-3.3 | 976 | ||||||||||
| Ipsos (October 17-27, 2018) | Thomson Reuters University of Virginia | 43% | 41% | 0% | 0% | 9% | 7% | +/-3.6 | 986 | ||||||||||
| Public Policy Polling (October 19-20, 2018) | Western States Strategies | 41% | 41% | 2% | 0% | 10% | 6% | +/-3.7 | 698 | ||||||||||
| Remington Research Group (September 30 - October 1, 2018) | Kansans for Jobs and Opportunity | 42% | 41% | 2% | 1% | 10% | 4% | +/-2.4 | 1,680 | ||||||||||
| Emerson College (September 26-28, 2018) | N/A | 36% | 37% | 0% | 0% | 9% | 18% | +/-3.5 | 938 | ||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the question was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to [email protected] | |||||||||||||||||||
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PredictIt Prices
This section provides the PredictIt market prices for this race during the three months leading up to the election. PredictIt is a site where people make and trade predictions on political and financial events. Market prices reflect the probability, based on PredictIt users' predictions, that a candidate will win a race. For example, a market price of $0.60 for Candidate A is equivalent to a 60 percent probability that Candidate A will win.
Campaign finance
The following chart contains campaign finance information from the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission covering all contributions and expenditures made between January 1, 2017, and October 25, 2018.
Race ratings
- See also: Race rating definitions and methods
Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:
- Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
- Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
- Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.[10]
- Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.
Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.[11][12][13]
| Race ratings: Kansas gubernatorial election, 2018 | |||||||||
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| Race tracker | Race ratings | ||||||||
| November 5, 2018 | October 30, 2018 | October 23, 2018 | October 16, 2018 | ||||||
| The Cook Political Report | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | Toss-up | |||||
| Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales | Toss-up | Tilt Republican | Tilt Republican | Tilt Republican | |||||
| Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball | Toss-up | Toss-up | Lean Republican | Lean Republican | |||||
| Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every two weeks throughout the election season. | |||||||||
Noteworthy endorsements
This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.
| Noteworthy general election endorsements | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement | Kelly (D) | Kobach (R) | Orman (I) | |||
| Newspapers and editorials | ||||||
| The Kansas City Star[14] | ✔ | |||||
| Elected officials | ||||||
| President Donald Trump (R)[15] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Gov. Bill Graves (R)[16] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Gov. Mike Hayden (R)[17] | ✔ | |||||
| Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R)[18] | ✔ | |||||
| Individuals | ||||||
| Former Jeff Colyer (R) gubernatorial campaign chairman Steve Baccus[19] | ✔ | |||||
| Organizations | ||||||
| Kansas State Council of Firefighters[20] | ✔ | |||||
| Click here to see a list of endorsements in the August 7 Democratic primary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Click here to see a list of endorsements in the August 7 Republican primary | |||
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Timeline
- October 31, 2018: The Kansas City Star endorsed Kelly.
- October 31, 2018: An Ipsos poll sponsored by Reuters and the University of Virginia found Kelly about even with Kobach, with 43 percent support to Kobach's 41 percent and Orman's 9 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.6 percentage points.
- October 30, 2018: Kelly, Kobach, and Orman met for a debate in Wichita.
- October 29, 2018: The candidates filed campaign finance reports covering all raising and spending between July 27 and October 25. Kelly reported raising $2.3 million during this period to Kobach's $1.4 million and Orman's $800,000.
- October 29, 2018: An Emerson College poll found Kobach about even with Kelly, with 44 percent support to Kelly's 43 percent and Orman's 8 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.
For older updates, click here.
- October 23, 2018: A Public Policy Polling poll commissioned by Western State Strategies found Kelly and Kobach at 41 percent support each and Orman at 10 percent support. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points.
- October 18, 2018: Former Gov. Mike Hayden (R) endorsed Kelly.
- October 6, 2018: President Trump (R) appeared at a rally alongside Kobach in Topeka.
- October 5, 2018: A Remington Research Group poll found Kelly about even with Kobach and leading Orman, with 42 percent support to Kobach's 41 percent and Orman's 10 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.
- September 30, 2018: An Emerson College poll found Kobach about even with Kelly and leading Orman, with 37 percent support to Kelly's 36 percent and Orman's 9 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.
- September 25, 2018: A Civiqs poll found Kelly about even with Kobach and leading Orman, with 41 percent support to Kobach's 39 percent and Orman's 9 percent. The poll reported a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.
- September 18, 2018: Former Sen. Nancy Kassebaum (R) endorsed Kelly.
- September 14, 2018: A Public Policy Polling poll found Kobach about even with Kelly and leading Orman, with 39 percent support to Kelly's 38 percent and Orman's 9 percent. The poll did not report a margin of error.
- September 6, 2018: The Republican Governors Association released an ad supporting Kobach titled The Kansas Way.
Campaign advertisements
This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.
Laura Kelly
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Kris Kobach
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Noteworthy events
Mike Pence
Vice President Mike Pence (R) headlined a rally in Kansas City on November 2, 2018, on behalf of Kobach and U.S. House candidates Vicky Hartzler (R), Kevin Yoder (R), Steve Watkins (R), and Sam Graves (R).[36]
Donald Trump campaign appearance
President Donald Trump (R) appeared at a rally alongside Kobach in Topeka on October 6, 2018. At the rally, Trump praised Kobach's stance on immigration and said, "He’ll fight for you every single day...He doesn’t stop. He’ll protect your family, he’ll protect your children."[37][38] Click here for footage of the rally.
Objection to the candidacy of Greg Orman
On August 20, 2018, Will Lawrence, the chief of staff of state Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley (D), filed an objection to the candidacy of businessman Greg Orman (I). The objection stated that the figures reported on Orman's nominating papers could not plausibly be accurate, pointing to an instance where an individual petition circulator recorded obtaining 1,000 signatures from 20 separate counties over the span of seven days and to an instance where multiple pages of petitions were notarized on the same date despite being collected on different dates. The objection also stated that several county election offices had failed to validate Orman's signatures ahead of the legal deadline.
Orman submitted just over 10,300 signatures alongside his nominating petitions, with 5,000 required to make the ballot. The Kansas Secretary of State's office found over 7,000 valid signatures in its initial review. The objection went to the State Objection Board, comprised of Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann (R), Attorney General Derek Schmidt (R), and Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R). Kobach, the Republican nominee, stated on August 16 that he would recuse himself from his oversight role in determining Orman's eligibility..[39]
The State Objection Board rejected the challenge to Orman's candidacy in a hearing on August 23, 2018.[40] In an interview following the hearing, Orman said, "What we've seen here today is nothing more than the Democrats trying to deny me access to the ballot because they don't want to give voters a real choice in November."[41]
Debates and forums
- Kelly, Kobach, and Orman met for a debate in Wichita sponsored by KSN-TV on October 30, 2018. Click here for coverage of the debate.
- Kelly, Kobach, and Orman met for a debate in Overland Park sponsored by the Johnson County Bar Association on September 5, 2018. Click here for footage of the debate.
- Kelly, Kobach, and Orman met for a debate at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson on September 8, 2018.
Campaign themes
Laura Kelly
Kelly's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Economy Laura has long supported traditional engines that drive prosperity: public schools, job training, and infrastructure, but she also believes Kansas leaders must think more like entrepreneurs and less like politicians. We must innovate and make creative, strategic investments that plan for the jobs of the future. Invest in Our Workforce Laura will invest in higher education, including technical and trade schools, and job training programs so that all graduates in Kansas have the skills needed to enter the workforce. She will focus on promoting partnerships to ensure businesses can find the trained workers they need in their industry and schools (high schools and technical schools) are providing the skills training needed by our business community. That means investing in high school technical programs, community college certification programs, and college and university tuition relief. Innovative Business Destination Unfortunately, the Brownback-Colyer administration dismantled many cutting edge programs just to fill the fiscal hole they created. For example, the Kansas Bioscience Authority, which was designed to accelerate growth in the bioscience sector, was dismantled in order to pay for the disastrous tax cuts. It is critical that Kansas look for new, creative ways to encourage growth in new industries. Laura will focus on making Kansas an innovative business destination and supporting new industries that leverage our state’s strengths to let us grow. Infrastructure Encourage Rural Growth To do this, Laura Kelly will focus on several areas of investment: healthcare, infrastructure, tourism and community specific investment. A Welcoming Kansas Good Government In a Kelly Administration, Governor’s Cabinet members and staff of the Governor’s Office will be required to sign an ethical code of conduct that ensures the highest standards of integrity within the administration. She will also advocate for a series of lobbyist reforms, increase transparency of legislative proceedings and lower the cost to access Kansas open records. Reinstituting the Equal Protection for State Workers Reversing the Adoption Discrimination Bill This is an irresponsible, shameful bill that allows for discrimination. It ignores the needs of our most vulnerable children. As governor, Laura will work to reverse this law and eliminate discrimination of any kind in Kansas. Healthcare Due to cuts made by the Brownback-Colyer Administration and their failure to expand Medicaid, rural hospitals and clinics are struggling and even closing. This is hurting our communities and putting Kansan’s health at risk. As governor, Laura Kelly will make sure Kansas families can get the healthcare they need. Expand Medicaid Laura Kelly has consistently supported expanding Medicaid to provide health coverage to more Kansas families. She also knows that expanding Medicaid will provide significant impact on our state’s economy and create thousands of jobs in the process. As governor, Laura Kelly will advocate for and sign legislation to expand Medicaid in her first year. Reform KanCare Laura Kelly will reform KanCare and ensure that our healthcare system is putting people, not profit, first. She will work with state agencies, community health groups and insurance companies to find the best plan to meet the needs of Kansans, and provide increased oversight and accountability into KanCare. Protect Women's Reproductive Rights As governor, Laura will make sure all Kansans have access to reproductive healthcare, including birth control. Kansas Schools It’s time to make our children – and their future – a top priority again. Parents, teachers and business owners get it. They know that great schools – and early learning programs – are the key to a bright future and growing economy. Laura Kelly will be the Education Governor Kansans deserve. Invest Early One of Laura’s proudest accomplishment is securing critical support for early childhood education programs. In 2009, she pushed for the creation and funding of the Early Childhood Block Grants to ensure that more kids enter kindergarten ready to learn. These programs help kids develop at an early age and impact their families for the better. And just this year, Laura demanded additional funding be added to the budget to support early childhood programs across the state. Recently, Laura visited the Pittsburg Family Resource Center. The Center utilizes funds from the Early Childhood Block Grants, the community, and families to provide comprehensive early childhood education. They help prepare young kids socially, emotionally and cognitively to succeed in kindergarten and beyond. Programs like this have a real impact on kids and families. Teachers know better than anyone the impact early investment can have on kids going into kindergarten and the difference it can make in the years to come. When Laura Kelly is governor, Kansas will invest more in programs like this that benefit our children, improve our future work force, and prevent challenges later in life. It’s really not rocket science: put kids on the right path at an early age – and keep them there. It’s how families succeed, it’s how our economy succeeds, and it’s how Kansas succeeds. Because of Laura’s commitment and work on behalf of children, she recently received the 2018 Distinguished Service to Children Award and the Friend of Education Award. Fund K-12 Schools Sam Brownback made the largest cut to Kansas schools in state history – resulting in larger class sizes, a shorter school week, and pay freezes for teachers. Laura Kelly fought back. She stood up for students, teachers and parents and worked to restore funding to our classrooms. Laura helped lead the bipartisan effort to reverse the Brownback tax experiment and put Kansas on the road to recovery. She supported significant new investments in public schools to repair the damage done by Sam Brownback and Jeff Colyer. As governor, Laura Kelly will make our schools her top priority. Her vision for Kansas means our schools will have the resources to provide a great education to all our students – no matter where they live. Our kids will get all the support they need to learn and grow. And our teachers will finally get the respect and support they deserve. Parents, teachers and business owners get it. They know that great schools – and early learning programs – are the key to a bright future and growing economy. Laura Kelly will be the Education Governor that Kansans deserve. Support Technical, Higher Education Laura knows that there are many good paying jobs available that do not require a 4-year degree. She has been a strong supporter of job training and efforts to provide incentives to attend technical or trade schools. She will work to expand these opportunities as governor. Due to cuts made by the Brownback-Colyer Administration, tuition has gone up at a faster rate. As a result, we are pricing students out of college. This year, Laura led the fight to restore funding to higher education. She will work with the Board of Regents to address the rise in tuition and provide relief for Kansas families. Improve Student Mental Health When cuts were made to public schools, psychologist and social workers were some of the first positions to be eliminated. That had a serious impact on students and their mental health. Laura knows that students must have access to quality mental health services in their schools. Laura supports adding additional new psychologists and social workers to assist students. These positions are of the utmost importance. Laura recommends that these positions be hired by community mental health centers, safety net clinics, or other local behavioral health partners so that they are available year-round, even when school is not in session. We must do more for our children – and mental health support is critical. Public Safety Laura Kelly has always been a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment, and believes Kansans have the right to purchase firearms to keep their families safe and hunt. But she also recognizes the need to take effective steps to keep our children and families safe. That’s why two years ago Laura Kelly voted to keep guns out of public hospitals, mental health centers and college campuses. She also voted for a bill that makes it illegal for anyone convicted of domestic violence to possess a gun. Laura will work to implement common sense gun safeguards – like requiring background checks on all gun sales, banning bump stocks, and limiting access to the types of assault weapons that were designed for war. That’s why Moms Demand Action named her a Gun Sense Candidate this year. She will bring people together – law enforcement officials, school officials, mental health and public health experts, parents – to find common ground and meaningful solutions to this problem. Funding Public Safety Using her budget expertise, Laura Kelly will stabilize the state’s budget and invest in public safety again. This will allow the KBI to once again provide investigative support to small communities or the highway patrol to fill current jobs to keep Kansans safe on roads all across the state. Rural Prosperity It doesn’t have to be this way. We can and must do better. The Kelly Administration will ensure that all Kansans have the opportunity to live, work, and play in thriving communities, whether it’s in Oberlin or Overland Park, Leoti or Lawrence, Garden City or Kansas City. Rural economic development is about creatively leveraging local resources to create a quality of life in rural Kansas that is second to none. An interconnected, strategic plan for rural economic development will be a hallmark of the Kelly Administration. This plan includes:
Housing
Main Street
Rural Infrastructure Notably, most of rural Kansas is eliminated from competing for new industry because nearly all new manufacturing prospects seeking sites require access to 4-lane highways. Simply put, the deck is unfairly stacked against rural Kansas without major new investments in transportation. Not only that, a lack of good broadband access in rural areas limits the ability to attract or expand businesses and impacts the resources available to our schools. The Kelly Administration will get rural Kansas moving again by passing a major, 10-year transportation plan that makes broad investments in highways across Kansas, particularly in rural areas. They will also make expanding and improving broadband access in rural areas a priority.
Strengthening Rural Hospitals
Building a Mobile State Government
Manufacturing
Active Tourism
Agribusiness
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| —Laura Kelly for Kansas[43] | ||
Kris Kobach
Kobach's campaign website stated the following:
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Jobs My running mate Wink Hartman, has created tens of thousands of jobs, during his time as an entrepreneur. Wink Harman and I have a plan to keep Kansas moving forward. By keeping taxes and regulatory burdens low, we can unleash the power of entrepreneurs and job creators to bring high-paying jobs to hard-working Kansans. Under our leadership, we will bring manufacturing jobs back to Kansas. By supporting vocational education programs and ensuring Kansas has a skilled labor force to take advantage of economic growth. Education By properly investing in our children’s future, we can build a brighter, better future for Kansas students. That starts with preparing our children for jobs in the 21st century. By developing new partnerships with trade schools and other job training programs, we can ensure our children have the skills they need for the jobs of the future. End the Culture of Corruption, Enact Term Limits Spending and Taxes In addition to cutting wasteful spending, I will fight stealth tax hikes from property appraisal increases so entrepreneurs can invest in their communities again. I’m proposing capping property tax appraisals so that no one person’s property can increase in value more than 2 percent in a year and limit appraisals to every 2-3 years, giving homeowners stability in the amount of taxes they can expect to pay on their property. Limiting the amount of money that property owners have to pay to the government opens up money that can be invested in new business and construction projects across Kansas. Illegal Immigration Unfortunately, Kansas has become the sanctuary state of the Midwest. We are the only state in the 5-state area that has done nothing to discourage illegal immigration. This hurts Kansas taxpayers. This puts Kansans’ jobs at risk. And it puts Kansans’ lives at risk. We can solve this problem in Kansas. But it takes leadership and political will. I’ll get the job done. Life The 2nd Amendment |
” |
| —Kansans for Kobach[44] | ||
Greg Orman
Orman's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
Making Government Work For The People Again Greg will leave behind the political animosity and partisan gridlock that has been holding us back for far too long. We need to focus on the right things—the things that will move the needle in making life better for all Kansans—and work on them in the right way to spur the innovation required to create better outcomes and lasting results. In order to do this, he will focus on fair elections with full transparency, a common sense approach to governing, and a culture of involvement, innovation, and problem-solving. Greg’s promise to the people of Kansas is that the Governor’s office will no longer be walled off from the public—it will no longer only be open to people who agree with the Governor, but will actively work to involve all Kansans. Greg will institute office hours and expand citizen advocates while ensuring equal representation of women on Governor-appointed boards. In fact, he will make all appointments merit-based with individuals of any political stripe who are committed to transparency and collaboration. In an effort to increase transparency in the legislative process, Greg will end the process of introducing bills anonymously—Kansans deserve to know who’s introducing legislation so that they can examine the motives behind a bill: Greg won’t sign any bill placed on his desk that doesn’t have an author attached. There will also be increased transparency in legislative committees and agency proceedings, all major votes in all committees will be recorded, and committee meetings will be available online, especially when public testimony is being offered. Additionally, Greg will propose legislation to prohibit lawmakers, appointed officials and senior staff members from registering as a lobbyist for three years after leaving office. Public service shouldn’t be a stepping stone to a high-paying career lobbying your former colleagues. This prohibition will apply fully to the senior level appointees in his administration. Greg will end the practice of lobbyists contributing to or bundling contributions to give to lawmakers. Lobbyists can provide helpful insight, but they shouldn’t be able to buy votes with campaign contributions. One of Orman’s signature issues is openness in government. He said he plans to make Kansas government “the most transparent, effective, and accountable government in the nation.” Voter Rights Our goal should be to encourage as many Kansans as possible to participate in our elections, which is the lifeblood of our democracy. But we also want to ensure the integrity of our election process so that only those eligible to vote do so. When Greg ran for the United States Senate in 2014, the response to the campaign was to try to modify the laws to make it more difficult for Independents to run and win. Instead of looking inward and saying, “how do we do more to earn the votes of Kansans," partisans were saying, “how do we rig the rules to avoid accountability." And they’re at it again in 2018! Greg supports same-day voter registration to encourage more eligible Kansas voters to go to the polls. Any candidate who believes in her or his message, qualifications, and intentions should want as many people voting as possible. The voter ID law that was used by the Kansas secretary of state to suppress votes was supported by the vast majority of our legislature, including other gubernatorial candidates; and both major parties have been using tactics for decades to try rig elections for their advantage so that they can avoid true accountability to voters. This is not acceptable–the right to vote is a pillar of American democracy. Any suppression cannot be tolerated. Economic Development It’s the government’s responsibility to create an environment that’s conducive to private sector growth. In order to do so, Kansas needs a proactive economic development strategy that leverages our state’s strengths–geographic location, wind and solar resources, leadership in agriculture–and addresses regional obstacles to growth, while ensuring that corporate, educational and state resources are fully aligned and creating opportunities for Kansas and its citizens. Developing the state’s workforce is vital to the success of our economy and protecting our quality of life—and we need to focus on all issues keeping parts of the population from being fully engaged in the economy. This will include initiatives such creating better pathways to technical education, including loan funds for certificate programs and support for public/private partnerships in technical education, as well as building a coordinated program to encourage military personnel who serve in Kansas to stay in Kansas. Finally, Greg will work hard make sure the nation sees the true Kansas—a leader, a state that is welcoming to all, and a place where our children are inspired to build their lives. Budget Greg believes that managing the budget responsibility goes far beyond the simplistic argument that has been focused on how much or how little to spend. The real challenge is balancing the budget in a way that doesn’t mortgage the future to pay for the present. We need to make smart decisions that make the government more efficient and effective. This means evaluating programs through the lens of outcomes and making sure we are measuring results—if something works, we should scale it, and if not, we should move to test something else. The core metric needs to be job creation and the quality of those jobs. Greg will focus on results for the people of Kansas, results that are sustainable in the context of a changing world where competitive benchmarks are rising daily. He will invest in and reshape our economic engines, creating high-quality jobs that allow our state the freedom to invest in critical resources that preserve our way of life. Taxes The plan led to significant increases in property taxes as the burden to provide services and resources shifted from Topeka to local governments. Many Kansans have told Greg that they are being priced out of their homes as a result of the Brownback tax plan. Farmers feel equally burdened with rising property taxes and lower incomes. The tax plan was patently unfair. That’s why Greg led and supported the efforts of Save Kansas Coalition—including initiatives like Mainstream Coalition, Reroute the Roadmap, and Women for Kansas—which was instrumental in reclaiming Kansas from further damage. As Governor, Greg would oppose efforts to rewrite the law pursued toward the end of last legislative session. (This law would redirect additional revenues as a result of federal income tax changes from the state to individuals, largely favoring the wealthiest.) Greg believes we should maintain a stable tax policy until we fully understand the financial impact of repealing the Brownback tax plan and have addressed the funding needs of a number of our agencies that have been starved for resources the past several years. Greg Orman on Brownback’s legacy: “He will be most remembered for his failed tax policy.” Renewable Energy We have abundant wind and solar resources. We are currently the fifth leading producer of wind energy in the country, but given our wind resources we could be second only to Texas if we fully leveraged those resources. Likewise, we have abundant sunshine in Western Kansas. Fully developing these resources, however, will require us to expand markets for renewable electricity. Currently, we have excess renewable power due to the intermittency of wind energy and its location relative to where we demand electricity. The net result of this has been higher energy costs as we continue to pay for renewable energy capacity that isn’t fully utilized. So, the key to optimizing the economic opportunities associated with these resources is to build more demand for it. To foster this increase in demand, Greg will evaluate creating an interconnect between Kansas and Mountain West to allow us to export renewable energy into Colorado; he will give our electric utilities the freedom to enter into renewable only electric tariffs with their customers; and he will evaluate the creation of massive electric semi recharging stations to reinforce our leadership in transportation and logistics and create demand for off-peak wind energy. With clean energy, Doll added that southwest Kansas would need to be ahead of the game and be innovative and open up markets. Transportation To leverage this geographical strength, Greg will look to add $80 million a year to our infrastructure spending over the next four years. His priorities will include the full expansion of I-69 to 4 lanes and, in southwest Kansas, Hwy 54, 400, and 81 expansion. The state should target funding to regions willing to enter into local regulatory compacts to streamline the permitting process. Kansas has seen the impacts of a state highway fund depleted to pay for the failed Brownback tax plan. Repairs to key infrastructure have been ignored, and new transportation projects that would drive economic expansion have been put on hold. Funding should be protected. Additionally, we should enter into local regulatory compacts to streamline the permitting and regulatory processes at the local level; and we will establish job functions within the Department of Commerce to specifically recruit internet and manufacturing companies that will clearly benefit from the geographic centrality of Kansas and the other advantages described above. Orman says to build Great Bend and the rest of Kansas, the state needs to focus on its major strength—distribution Industrial Hemp Industrial hemp uses half the water of wheat, producing significantly more profit per acre, and has thousands of uses including the production of paper, textiles, and construction materials. Senator John Doll has been a leading advocate for giving farmers the freedom to farm industrial hemp. As federal law evolves to allow for the commercial production of hemp, Kansas needs to be a leader in creating tools that allow us to quickly capitalize on this opportunity: production facilities for hemp-based products will be built to accommodate this anticipated change in federal law—Greg wants to ensure that many of those facilities get built in Kansas. Education Greg will work hard to ensure that local communities, boards and educators are able to focus on increased student performance and closing achievement gaps rather than on the constant fear of funding cuts or how to create an eleventh-hour budget. Greg will treat the education interests of Kansas families, children, and communities as a public good of the greatest value. Because we invest in public education, Kansas will be the place where future generations chose to live, work and raise their families. Greg will embrace innovation across the system, creating an outcome-based innovation model while establishing a culture that identifies best practices within and outside the state and shares them broadly with teachers who are, in turn, recognized for these innovations—he will focus on opportunities to improve outcomes and productivity through the use of technology. Preparing students for a career in Kansas will be our most critical task. Greg will work hard to give all children the necessary skill set for a competitive world—including career and technical education. Additionally, keeping education talent in Kansas is crucial—but the state is experiencing difficulty in recruiting teachers given low pay levels in Kansas where average teacher pay is $41k per year versus a national average of $58k. Greg will provide competitive salaries and benefits and ensure that KPERS has the resources to honor its current and future obligations. And Greg will support the state's outstanding teachers' colleges by working to reduce the shortage of STEM, special education and specialty discipline educators with student loan forgiveness programs to reward those teachers who choose to work in the schools of greatest need. Finally, Greg will ensure that our schools are safe by working with the Kansas Department of Education as the agency to serve as clearinghouse for safety, security best practices and resources; additionally, we will foster coordination between the education community, law enforcement and social services in identifying and abating risks. Orman said improving K-12 education requires innovative solutions, which he would rather focus on than considering any constitutional amendment Q&A: Independent candidate for Kansas governor Greg Orman discusses student issues, policy, Brownback School Finance Reform The Courts have often cautioned–and again as recently as June 25–against allowing local option budgets from getting too large to maintain equalization. From what we have observed, we are not certain all legislators fully understand property tax equity. Some appear not to know that a mill is not a mill in different locations across our state. One mill in the richest school district might buy a jumbo jet, while one mill in the poorest district might afford an annual subscription to Scientific American. While an exaggeration, it illustrates the issue that could again get the legislature crosswise with the Constitution if we do not work to maintain a fine balance. Greg will remain vigilant and respect the court’s caution. Tensions rising around school funding Local Control of Public Education Public Tax Credits for Private Education Kansas, as reflected in its Constitution, has always valued education as a necessary public good. The tax credits are a work-around to rob the public good for a few. This kind of logic could lead someone to ask for a property tax credit from the municipal park system to pay for a private club membership. A contribution to a private school scholarship fund is an act of charity and generosity; as such, donors should receive a charitable gift deduction. Healthcare Greg Orman believes that we must prioritize addressing care gaps in Kansas—there are roughly 240,000 Kansans who aren’t covered by health insurance. Regardless of the reason, coverage gaps lead to higher system wide costs as patients get care in the wrong place (the ER) for the wrong reason (chronic conditions) at the wrong time (too late). If we address these care gaps, we can improve the health of Kansans, improve our economy, and help people live fruitful, productive lives in Kansas. Greg will also give responsible Medicaid expansion the full support of the Governor’s office. Without Medicaid expansion, we send a terrible message to hard working Kansans who don’t make a lot of money: we tell them if they get sick, they should quit their job—that’s the wrong message. We need to be building pathways so that people can improve their lives and contribute more, not throw up obstacles. A $12 an hour job in Kansas without health insurance is much less desirable than a $12 an hour job in one of the 33 states that have expanded Medicaid. As Greg has traveled the state and spoken to the administrators at many of the regional hospitals, it has become clear that the state’s healthcare infrastructure in the state is on the brink of failing financially. Medicaid expansion would help shore up our healthcare infrastructure that so many Kansans rely on for care. We can expand Medicaid in a responsible way and ensure some level of patient participation in the costs as their incomes rise. This will also allow us move to a population health approach that keeps people healthy instead of simply taking care of them when they’re sick. The net result should be significantly expanded coverage with very little cost to the state of Kansas. Greg will veto any efforts to take away Medicare from Kansans. “I think we send a terrible message to those that are working but not making high incomes in Kansas, and that’s, ‘If you get sick, quit your job, because it may be the only way you can afford health care,’ ” Orman said. Women's Health We cannot abandon women. These are tough choices that are not made lightly. We need to help them through, either way. This is an issue where partisanship tends to mask the common ground that exists. All sides on this issue would like to see fewer abortions. The question is how do we get there. In order to reduce the number of abortions we need to look at the root causes. And the root causes are access to contraception, economic issues and education. In Colorado, young people who came into family planning clinics were given the option of long run contraception; as a result, they saw the abortion rate over five years decline by 35% among that group of people. Greg understands this is a big issue for a lot of people—and he understands that a lot of people who are pro-life come to that position out of a place of love and caring and faith—especially where state funding of non-abortion services at Planned Parenthood is concerned; but he also knows we are not going to reduce the number of abortions by making it more difficult for women to get contraceptives and health care services. All of Kansas Unfortunately, rural Kansas has struggled in recent years as the agricultural landscape has evolved and as an increasing number of Kansans have migrated to urban areas or out of state. This migration is threatening the financial stability of rural areas as it becomes increasingly difficult to sustain basic services as population levels drop. These problems will not be solved by merely defaulting to the typical political “fixes” of tax cuts and subsidies which are very blunt instruments. Rural Kansas needs—and deserves—greater focus in supporting it in building its economy. Luckily, rural Kansas has numerous assets that it can use to build its economy through growing current industries and creating new industries. Doing this will support rural Kansans with jobs and will help pay for the basic infrastructure needed to support their quality of life. In addition, we must also innovate to improve the delivery of basic services and housing for rural Kansans that will be required to retain and attract workers to rural Kansas. Rural Kansas has the opportunity to participate in our changing economy and to prosper while also maintaining the quality of life and values that make it unique. For Kansas to succeed, rural Kansas must succeed He will also ensure that the digital and innovation infrastructure is in place to support new industries, enabling rural Kansas to become a hub for digitally based companies. The digital economy offers a unique opportunity for rural Kansas since it opens the door for work to be performed remotely. We need to ensure that we are fully equipped to take advantage of this opportunity and encourage new businesses in these areas. Additionally, he will leverage our natural advantages in wind and solar. Kansas has the opportunity to leverage its resources to lead in solar and wind. To achieve this, we need to focus on enabling our supply of solar and wind both from a generation and a transmission and distribution standpoint and explore opportunities to spur demand of this power. Finally, he will ensure that the social infrastructure is in place to support rural Kansas. If we cannot sustain and improve the quality of life in rural Kansas, then we will not have the workforce needed to capture the economic development opportunities that it has before it. We need to create solutions in a number of areas ranging from solving the rural housing gap to explore using new technologies to support the efficient delivery of basic services such as education and healthcare. By doing this, we can ensure that rural Kansas never has to forego opportunities for lack of talent to pursue them. Second Amendment Greg would work to strengthen our background check system. As the NRA has suggested, plugging the holes in our mental health and law enforcement reporting systems would be a good start. That would be in vain, however, if the same person could simply buy a weapon in a private transaction without a background check. As a gun owner, Greg passed a background check—it’s a simple process, takes a few minutes, and didn’t impede his second amendment rights. The people who are denied gun ownership because of a background check have generally either been judged to be mentally ill, convicted of a crime and sentenced to more than a year in prison, dishonorably discharged from the military, or subject to a domestic abuse restraining order. Greg believes that we need to re-institute training for individuals that want a concealed carry permit in Kansas. Firearm safety is an important issue to gun owners and non-gun owners alike. The idea that someone can a carry a concealed weapon without a minutes training in Kansas is a clear example of legislators putting politics ahead of public safety. Finally, Greg would consider raising the age for purchases of military-style semi-automatic rifles to 21 and require additional screening for such purchases; he would also work to stop the sale of bump stocks, high-capacity magazines and any other accessory that allows legal firearms to be easily converted into weapons of mass murder. Medical Cannabis This is a humanitarian issue. We shouldn't have people at their most vulnerable feeling like criminals. We shouldn't have people treating the effects of chemotherapy feeling like they're breaking the law. Medical cannabis has been proven effective in treating the symptoms from conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, and arthritis, as well as pain management. Greg will give providers authorized to prescribe Schedule II narcotics the freedom to prescribe marijuana as a tool to fight opioid dependence. Greg would also call for the passage of the Kansas Safe Access Act to allow Kansans to use legally prescribed medical marijuana. States that allow physicians to prescribe medical cannabis as part of pain-management protocols—and allow citizens to use it—see statistically lower rates of opioid use disorder.[42] |
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| —Orman for Kansas[45] | ||
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Pivot Counties
- See also: Pivot Counties by state
There are no Pivot Counties in Kansas. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.
In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Kansas with 56.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 36.1 percent. In presidential elections between 1864 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican 84.21 percent of the time and Democratic 15.78 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican all five times.[46]
Presidential results by legislative district
The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Kansas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[47][48]
| In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 29 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 21.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 34 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 20.9 points. Clinton won six districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections. |
| In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 91 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 35.5 points. Trump won 11 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections. |
| 2016 presidential results by state House district | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Obama | Romney | 2012 Margin | Clinton | Trump | 2016 Margin | Party Control |
| 1 | 34.52% | 63.35% | R+28.8 | 23.35% | 71.63% | R+48.3 | R |
| 2 | 39.77% | 57.53% | R+17.8 | 27.77% | 66.50% | R+38.7 | D |
| 3 | 46.36% | 51.22% | R+4.9 | 38.05% | 54.82% | R+16.8 | D |
| 4 | 30.10% | 67.41% | R+37.3 | 20.25% | 74.79% | R+54.5 | R |
| 5 | 32.25% | 65.27% | R+33 | 23.45% | 69.48% | R+46 | R |
| 6 | 29.97% | 68.18% | R+38.2 | 26.18% | 67.84% | R+41.7 | R |
| 7 | 37.56% | 60.32% | R+22.8 | 27.74% | 66.71% | R+39 | R |
| 8 | 29.85% | 68.98% | R+39.1 | 39.07% | 55.47% | R+16.4 | R |
| 9 | 34.83% | 62.80% | R+28 | 26.84% | 66.79% | R+39.9 | R |
| 10 | 56.98% | 40.00% | D+17 | 56.46% | 35.14% | D+21.3 | D |
| 11 | 30.79% | 66.61% | R+35.8 | 24.48% | 70.05% | R+45.6 | R |
| 12 | 22.13% | 75.66% | R+53.5 | 16.45% | 78.95% | R+62.5 | R |
| 13 | 22.55% | 75.21% | R+52.7 | 16.51% | 77.88% | R+61.4 | R |
| 14 | 35.33% | 63.12% | R+27.8 | 40.81% | 52.23% | R+11.4 | R |
| 15 | 41.90% | 55.57% | R+13.7 | 42.04% | 48.78% | R+6.7 | R |
| 16 | 42.20% | 56.14% | R+13.9 | 47.32% | 45.91% | D+1.4 | D |
| 17 | 41.27% | 56.85% | R+15.6 | 47.24% | 45.90% | D+1.3 | R |
| 18 | 43.81% | 54.18% | R+10.4 | 45.07% | 47.41% | R+2.3 | D |
| 19 | 44.88% | 53.47% | R+8.6 | 53.76% | 39.96% | D+13.8 | R |
| 20 | 37.95% | 60.61% | R+22.7 | 48.15% | 46.37% | D+1.8 | R |
| 21 | 50.02% | 48.02% | D+2 | 57.77% | 35.71% | D+22.1 | D |
| 22 | 52.33% | 44.57% | D+7.8 | 52.46% | 38.89% | D+13.6 | D |
| 23 | 49.29% | 48.38% | D+0.9 | 51.80% | 40.42% | D+11.4 | R |
| 24 | 53.41% | 43.84% | D+9.6 | 54.71% | 37.19% | D+17.5 | D |
| 25 | 50.47% | 47.54% | D+2.9 | 59.32% | 33.38% | D+25.9 | R |
| 26 | 32.80% | 65.25% | R+32.4 | 33.61% | 58.71% | R+25.1 | R |
| 27 | 29.93% | 68.57% | R+38.6 | 36.38% | 57.73% | R+21.4 | R |
| 28 | 31.83% | 66.95% | R+35.1 | 42.47% | 52.42% | R+9.9 | R |
| 29 | 44.53% | 53.59% | R+9.1 | 49.08% | 44.00% | D+5.1 | D |
| 30 | 43.67% | 54.04% | R+10.4 | 47.90% | 44.60% | D+3.3 | R |
| 31 | 68.34% | 29.12% | D+39.2 | 64.49% | 28.46% | D+36 | D |
| 32 | 70.85% | 26.33% | D+44.5 | 69.13% | 24.93% | D+44.2 | D |
| 33 | 53.07% | 44.74% | D+8.3 | 46.77% | 46.81% | R+0 | D |
| 34 | 87.52% | 11.61% | D+75.9 | 82.15% | 14.18% | D+68 | D |
| 35 | 83.97% | 14.71% | D+69.3 | 79.07% | 17.21% | D+61.9 | D |
| 36 | 57.58% | 41.19% | D+16.4 | 54.32% | 40.28% | D+14 | D |
| 37 | 60.83% | 36.66% | D+24.2 | 53.70% | 39.94% | D+13.8 | D |
| 38 | 34.73% | 63.29% | R+28.6 | 30.42% | 63.22% | R+32.8 | R |
| 39 | 35.39% | 62.94% | R+27.5 | 39.04% | 53.11% | R+14.1 | R |
| 40 | 40.75% | 57.27% | R+16.5 | 38.32% | 53.56% | R+15.2 | D |
| 41 | 46.66% | 50.70% | R+4 | 39.81% | 50.78% | R+11 | D |
| 42 | 36.18% | 61.14% | R+25 | 31.04% | 61.02% | R+30 | R |
| 43 | 34.15% | 63.16% | R+29 | 31.41% | 59.98% | R+28.6 | R |
| 44 | 62.77% | 34.89% | D+27.9 | 67.49% | 25.53% | D+42 | D |
| 45 | 54.91% | 42.82% | D+12.1 | 59.16% | 33.32% | D+25.8 | R |
| 46 | 77.64% | 19.20% | D+58.4 | 76.44% | 14.71% | D+61.7 | D |
| 47 | 38.18% | 59.43% | R+21.3 | 31.44% | 61.94% | R+30.5 | R |
| 48 | 36.29% | 62.51% | R+26.2 | 45.15% | 48.99% | R+3.8 | R |
| 49 | 38.40% | 59.65% | R+21.3 | 42.61% | 49.98% | R+7.4 | R |
| 50 | 37.85% | 59.91% | R+22.1 | 32.39% | 60.99% | R+28.6 | R |
| 51 | 28.55% | 68.80% | R+40.3 | 24.87% | 67.57% | R+42.7 | R |
| 52 | 38.48% | 59.83% | R+21.4 | 41.24% | 52.33% | R+11.1 | R |
| 53 | 49.46% | 48.55% | D+0.9 | 48.48% | 44.69% | D+3.8 | D |
| 54 | 36.08% | 61.42% | R+25.3 | 31.53% | 61.19% | R+29.7 | R |
| 55 | 58.75% | 38.23% | D+20.5 | 56.22% | 35.86% | D+20.4 | D |
| 56 | 50.35% | 47.61% | D+2.7 | 47.52% | 45.37% | D+2.1 | D |
| 57 | 60.24% | 37.08% | D+23.2 | 52.56% | 40.10% | D+12.5 | D |
| 58 | 68.89% | 28.89% | D+40 | 62.81% | 30.95% | D+31.9 | D |
| 59 | 34.91% | 62.26% | R+27.3 | 27.17% | 65.34% | R+38.2 | R |
| 60 | 44.81% | 52.89% | R+8.1 | 41.23% | 50.34% | R+9.1 | R |
| 61 | 28.37% | 68.24% | R+39.9 | 21.25% | 72.95% | R+51.7 | R |
| 62 | 23.43% | 74.47% | R+51 | 17.38% | 77.05% | R+59.7 | R |
| 63 | 35.08% | 62.22% | R+27.1 | 26.76% | 66.59% | R+39.8 | R |
| 64 | 25.27% | 72.77% | R+47.5 | 20.43% | 73.29% | R+52.9 | R |
| 65 | 43.74% | 54.05% | R+10.3 | 34.93% | 58.47% | R+23.5 | R |
| 66 | 50.12% | 46.43% | D+3.7 | 51.05% | 38.79% | D+12.3 | D |
| 67 | 40.06% | 57.80% | R+17.7 | 42.63% | 49.20% | R+6.6 | R |
| 68 | 34.43% | 63.50% | R+29.1 | 29.68% | 63.68% | R+34 | R |
| 69 | 35.59% | 61.03% | R+25.4 | 30.21% | 60.42% | R+30.2 | R |
| 70 | 23.84% | 73.94% | R+50.1 | 19.14% | 74.53% | R+55.4 | R |
| 71 | 32.78% | 64.93% | R+32.1 | 30.30% | 61.66% | R+31.4 | R |
| 72 | 40.72% | 57.33% | R+16.6 | 36.99% | 55.92% | R+18.9 | D |
| 73 | 26.35% | 71.50% | R+45.2 | 22.73% | 70.59% | R+47.9 | R |
| 74 | 29.70% | 67.81% | R+38.1 | 26.47% | 66.27% | R+39.8 | R |
| 75 | 30.67% | 66.90% | R+36.2 | 24.51% | 69.40% | R+44.9 | R |
| 76 | 30.91% | 66.27% | R+35.4 | 24.82% | 68.60% | R+43.8 | R |
| 77 | 27.21% | 70.71% | R+43.5 | 22.92% | 70.69% | R+47.8 | R |
| 78 | 34.61% | 63.40% | R+28.8 | 38.30% | 53.87% | R+15.6 | R |
| 79 | 32.96% | 65.00% | R+32 | 28.05% | 65.25% | R+37.2 | D |
| 80 | 35.06% | 62.13% | R+27.1 | 26.70% | 67.44% | R+40.7 | R |
| 81 | 33.84% | 63.99% | R+30.2 | 31.03% | 61.27% | R+30.2 | R |
| 82 | 30.06% | 67.52% | R+37.5 | 26.99% | 65.38% | R+38.4 | R |
| 83 | 54.37% | 43.11% | D+11.3 | 51.85% | 39.65% | D+12.2 | D |
| 84 | 70.84% | 26.86% | D+44 | 68.69% | 24.53% | D+44.2 | D |
| 85 | 34.31% | 63.97% | R+29.7 | 37.32% | 56.24% | R+18.9 | R |
| 86 | 53.12% | 43.21% | D+9.9 | 48.15% | 43.40% | D+4.7 | D |
| 87 | 37.57% | 60.74% | R+23.2 | 40.94% | 52.41% | R+11.5 | R |
| 88 | 49.69% | 48.03% | D+1.7 | 47.67% | 44.31% | D+3.4 | D |
| 89 | 61.51% | 37.13% | D+24.4 | 59.18% | 34.73% | D+24.4 | D |
| 90 | 24.03% | 73.80% | R+49.8 | 22.19% | 71.68% | R+49.5 | R |
| 91 | 30.91% | 66.80% | R+35.9 | 29.71% | 63.58% | R+33.9 | R |
| 92 | 50.33% | 46.78% | D+3.5 | 49.74% | 42.40% | D+7.3 | D |
| 93 | 27.30% | 70.28% | R+43 | 21.81% | 71.39% | R+49.6 | R |
| 94 | 29.42% | 68.69% | R+39.3 | 29.97% | 63.69% | R+33.7 | R |
| 95 | 47.49% | 49.01% | R+1.5 | 43.07% | 48.91% | R+5.8 | D |
| 96 | 46.56% | 50.44% | R+3.9 | 39.83% | 52.31% | R+12.5 | D |
| 97 | 36.12% | 61.26% | R+25.1 | 30.50% | 61.72% | R+31.2 | R |
| 98 | 40.62% | 56.26% | R+15.6 | 33.41% | 58.84% | R+25.4 | D |
| 99 | 26.09% | 72.26% | R+46.2 | 28.46% | 64.66% | R+36.2 | R |
| 100 | 31.22% | 66.92% | R+35.7 | 31.69% | 61.73% | R+30 | R |
| 101 | 23.17% | 75.00% | R+51.8 | 21.32% | 72.49% | R+51.2 | R |
| 102 | 44.74% | 51.67% | R+6.9 | 36.80% | 53.97% | R+17.2 | D |
| 103 | 64.24% | 33.10% | D+31.1 | 59.09% | 33.27% | D+25.8 | D |
| 104 | 31.01% | 67.13% | R+36.1 | 29.17% | 64.11% | R+34.9 | R |
| 105 | 37.77% | 59.32% | R+21.5 | 36.00% | 56.30% | R+20.3 | R |
| 106 | 23.27% | 74.50% | R+51.2 | 18.06% | 76.25% | R+58.2 | R |
| 107 | 21.11% | 76.29% | R+55.2 | 16.89% | 77.37% | R+60.5 | R |
| 108 | 28.23% | 68.87% | R+40.6 | 24.51% | 68.39% | R+43.9 | R |
| 109 | 18.44% | 79.59% | R+61.2 | 14.04% | 81.00% | R+67 | R |
| 110 | 17.45% | 80.37% | R+62.9 | 13.13% | 82.19% | R+69.1 | R |
| 111 | 26.84% | 71.10% | R+44.3 | 24.33% | 69.49% | R+45.2 | D |
| 112 | 23.09% | 75.31% | R+52.2 | 19.09% | 75.85% | R+56.8 | R |
| 113 | 24.26% | 73.83% | R+49.6 | 18.44% | 76.06% | R+57.6 | R |
| 114 | 26.19% | 71.17% | R+45 | 20.18% | 73.85% | R+53.7 | R |
| 115 | 19.36% | 78.60% | R+59.2 | 15.93% | 78.96% | R+63 | R |
| 116 | 24.38% | 73.12% | R+48.7 | 16.94% | 76.79% | R+59.8 | R |
| 117 | 20.29% | 78.08% | R+57.8 | 15.14% | 79.76% | R+64.6 | R |
| 118 | 14.70% | 83.44% | R+68.7 | 11.38% | 84.39% | R+73 | R |
| 119 | 35.54% | 62.75% | R+27.2 | 33.22% | 61.23% | R+28 | R |
| 120 | 17.37% | 80.09% | R+62.7 | 12.51% | 82.46% | R+70 | R |
| 121 | 34.73% | 63.15% | R+28.4 | 37.99% | 54.71% | R+16.7 | R |
| 122 | 21.80% | 76.17% | R+54.4 | 20.40% | 74.49% | R+54.1 | R |
| 123 | 32.30% | 65.78% | R+33.5 | 35.21% | 58.47% | R+23.3 | R |
| 124 | 16.22% | 82.22% | R+66 | 15.64% | 79.80% | R+64.2 | R |
| 125 | 29.14% | 69.53% | R+40.4 | 32.81% | 62.26% | R+29.4 | R |
| Total | 38.08% | 59.72% | R+21.6 | 36.28% | 57.01% | R+20.7 | - |
| Source: Daily Kos | |||||||
Election history
2014
| Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican |  Sam Brownback/Jeff Colyer Incumbent |
49.8% | 433,196 | |
| Democratic | Paul Davis/Jill Docking | 46.1% | 401,100 | |
| Libertarian | Keen Umbehr/Josh Umbehr | 4% | 35,206 | |
| Total Votes | 869,502 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
2010
- See also: Kansas gubernatorial election, 2010
| Kansas Governor, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Sam Brownback |
63.3% | 530,760 | |
| Democratic | Tom Holland | 32.2% | 270,166 | |
| Libertarian | Andrew P. Gray | 2.7% | 22,460 | |
| Reform Party | Ken Cannon | 1.8% | 15,397 | |
| Write-in | Heath Charles Morris | 0% | 7 | |
| Total Votes | 838,790 | |||
| Election results via Kansas Secretary of State | ||||
Wave election analysis
- See also: Wave elections (1918-2016)
The term wave election is frequently used to describe an election cycle in which one party makes significant electoral gains. How many seats would Republicans have had to lose for the 2018 midterm election to be considered a wave election?
Ballotpedia examined the results of the 50 election cycles that occurred between 1918 and 2016—spanning from President Woodrow Wilson's (D) second midterm in 1918 to Donald Trump's (R) first presidential election in 2016. We define wave elections as the 20 percent of elections in that period resulting in the greatest seat swings against the president's party.
Applying this definition to gubernatorial elections, we found that Republicans needed to lose seven seats for 2018 to qualify as a wave election.
The chart below shows the number of seats the president's party lost in the 11 gubernatorial waves from 1918 to 2016. Click here to read the full report.
| Gubernatorial wave elections | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | President | Party | Election type | Gubernatorial seats change | Elections analyzed[49] | |
| 1970 | Nixon | R | First midterm | -12 | 35 | |
| 1922 | Harding | R | First midterm | -11 | 33 | |
| 1932 | Hoover | R | Presidential | -10 | 35 | |
| 1920 | Wilson | D | Presidential | -10 | 36 | |
| 1994 | Clinton | D | First midterm | -10 | 36 | |
| 1930 | Hoover | R | First midterm | -9 | 33 | |
| 1938 | Roosevelt | D | Second midterm | -9 | 33 | |
| 1966 | Johnson | D | First midterm[50] | -9 | 35 | |
| 1954 | Eisenhower | R | First midterm | -8 | 33 | |
| 1982 | Reagan | R | First midterm | -7 | 36 | |
| 2010 | Obama | D | First midterm | -7 | 33 | |
State profile
| Demographic data for Kansas | ||
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | U.S. | |
| Total population: | 2,906,721 | 316,515,021 |
| Land area (sq mi): | 81,759 | 3,531,905 |
| Race and ethnicity** | ||
| White: | 85.2% | 73.6% |
| Black/African American: | 5.8% | 12.6% |
| Asian: | 2.6% | 5.1% |
| Native American: | 0.8% | 0.8% |
| Pacific Islander: | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| Two or more: | 3.3% | 3% |
| Hispanic/Latino: | 11.2% | 17.1% |
| Education | ||
| High school graduation rate: | 90.2% | 86.7% |
| College graduation rate: | 31% | 29.8% |
| Income | ||
| Median household income: | $52,205 | $53,889 |
| Persons below poverty level: | 15% | 11.3% |
| Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015) Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Kansas. **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here. | ||
Presidential voting pattern
- See also: Presidential voting trends in Kansas
Kansas voted Republican in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.
More Kansas coverage on Ballotpedia
- Elections in Kansas
- United States congressional delegations from Kansas
- Public policy in Kansas
- Endorsers in Kansas
- Kansas fact checks
- More...
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Kansas governor election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
|
Kansas government: |
Elections: |
Ballotpedia exclusives: |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Lawrence Journal-World, "Former Colyer campaign manager joins Orman campaign," August 27, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Kansas race for governor poses a complex math problem with crowded ballot," August 19, 2018
- ↑ Laura Kelly for Kansas, "Meet Laura Kelly," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Youtube ,"Laura Kelly 2018 Democratic Primary Kansas Governor TV Ad #1," July 14, 2018
- ↑ Laura Kelly for Kansas, "Home," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Kris Kobach for Governor, "Home," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Kris Kobach for Governor, "My Story," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Orman for Kansas, "Home," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Orman for Kansas, "8 Reasons to Support Independent Greg Orman for Governor," accessed September 19, 2018
- ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
- ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "The Star endorses the one clear choice for Kansas governor," October 31, 2018
- ↑ Fox News, "Trump's Kris Kobach endorsement rocks Kansas governor's race," August 7, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Former GOP governor of Kansas endorses Democrat Laura Kelly over Kris Kobach," September 5, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Another former GOP governor of Kansas just endorsed Dem Laura Kelly over Kris Kobach," October 18, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "GOP stalwart Nancy Kassebaum picks Democrat Laura Kelly over Kris Kobach," September 18, 2018
- ↑ Orman for Kansas, "Steve Baccus, Chairman of Governor Jeff Colyer’s Campaign Endorses and Joins Greg Orman Team," August 27, 2018
- ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Firefighters council backs Kris Kobach for Kansas governor," August 31, 2018
- ↑ Brewer for Kansas, "Endorsements," accessed June 14, 2018
- ↑ Laura Kelly for Kansas, "News," accessed June 10, 2018
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 The Kansas City Star, "Former Democratic Govs. Sebelius, Carlin at odds in 2018 race for Kansas governor," March 30, 2018
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Planned Parenthood group endorses state Sen. Laura Kelly for Kansas governor," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ KOAM TV, "Kansas Governor Wins Endorsement Of Former Primary Rival," April 25, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Kobach jumps the gun on anti-abortion group’s endorsement — which also goes to Colyer," accessed June 29, 2018
- ↑ The Emporia Gazette, "Longbine endorses Colyer," July 10, 2018
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 The Wichita Eagle, "Wichita mayor, chamber PAC, county commission chair all back Colyer in GOP primary," accessed July 13, 2018
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 Lawrence Journal-World, "NRA backs Colyer over Kobach in Kansas race for governor," July 16, 2018
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Dole endorses Colyer in GOP primary for Kansas governor," accessed July 31, 2018
- ↑ Twitter, "Donald J. Trump," August 6, 2018
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Senate president Wagle endorses Kobach in official email. Is it an ethics violation?" July 25, 2018
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Wichita businessman drops campaign for governor, endorses Kobach," February 21, 2018
- ↑ Lawrence Journal-World, Kobach gets help from Trump Jr. in Kansas governor’s race," October 16, 2017
- ↑ The Kansas City Star, "Kobach jumps the gun on anti-abortion group’s endorsement — which also goes to Colyer," accessed June 29, 2018
- ↑ KWCH 12, "WATCH LIVE: VP Mike Pence speaks at rally in Kansas City," November 2, 2018
- ↑ Breitbart, "Trump Rallies for Kris Kobach: He’ll Be a ‘Great, Great Governor’ and ‘Tireless Champion for Border Security’," October 6, 2018
- ↑ Think Progress, "Kris Kobach rallied with Trump, and the anti-immigrant remarks were plentiful," October 7, 2018
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Greg Orman faces challenge over thousands of petition signatures," August 20, 2018
- ↑ KWCH, "Kansas independent Orman will stay on the ballot," August 23, 2018
- ↑ The Wichita Eagle, "Greg Orman talks to reporters on challenge to his candidacy for governor," August 23, 2018
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Laura Kelly for Kansas, "Issues," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ Kris Kobach for Governor, "On the Issues," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ Orman for Kansas, "Issues," accessed September 18, 2018
- ↑ 270towin.com, "Kansas," accessed June 1, 2017
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
- ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
- ↑ The number of gubernatorial seats up for election varies, with as many as 36 seats and as few as 12 seats being up in a single even-numbered year.
- ↑ Lyndon Johnson's (D) first term began in November 1963 after the death of President John F. Kennedy (D), who was first elected in 1960. Before Johnson had his first midterm in 1966, he was re-elected president in 1964.
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