Kansas Democrats Split in 3-Way Governor Primary as Laura Kelly’s 2-Term Exit Opens Seat
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 3
Kansas Democrats Split in 3-Way Governor Primary as Laura Kelly’s 2-Term Exit Opens Seat
2 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 3
Summary
Kansas Democrats enter Tuesday’s three-way gubernatorial primary divided over how centrist a nominee must be to keep the governor’s office after Gov. Laura Kelly is forced out by term limits.
Democratic voters interviewed across the state said they want a moderate who can win independents and some conservatives in November, but not one who compromises core party positions in the Trump era.
The debate is narrower ideologically than other Democratic primaries, focusing less on left-versus-center clashes than on where bipartisanship ends and capitulation begins in a Republican-leaning state.
Kansas has not backed a Democrat for president since the 1960s and has not elected one to the U.S. Senate in nearly a century, yet it has repeatedly chosen Democratic governors.
Republicans see the open seat as a prime pickup chance, with Trump backing state Senate President Ty Masterson, a leading contender who helped override dozens of Kelly vetoes.