Latest news with #CindyHolscher
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas governor candidate Cindy Holscher objects to alleged pressure campaign by Kelly's staff
Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Johnson County Democrat seeking the party's nomination for governor in 2026, said staff in the administration of Gov. Laura Kelly attempted to pressure Democratic lawmakers into idling their campaigns for governor so a preferred candidate could prevail. (Grace Hills/Kansas Reflector) TOPEKA — State Sen. Cindy Holscher expressed frustration Friday with behind-the-scene involvement of Gov. Laura Kelly's staff in attempting to influence who launched a campaign for the Kansas Democratic Party's nomination for governor in 2026. Holscher, who announced her bid for governor in June, said she was among three Democrats in the Kansas Senate told by the Kelly administration to stand aside so Democratic primary voters would be more likely to nominate Lawrence attorney Chris Mann in the race to determine who would be the party's choice to replace the term-limited Kelly. Holscher said she as well as Sens. Dinah Sykes and Ethan Corson, also of Johnson County, were initially discouraged from impeding Mann's path in the August 2026 primary for governor. 'All three of us were told basically 'do not run' because Chris Mann's the guy,' Holscher said. 'Why are insiders picking candidates? We're being bullied, essentially.' After the dust cleared at the end of July, Mann had chosen to launch another campaign for attorney general after narrowly losing to Republican Kris Kobach in 2022. Corson and Holscher had declared their campaigns for governor. Kelly threw her support to Corson. Lt. Gov. David Toland, at one point the presumed frontrunner in a Democratic gubernatorial race, said he wouldn't run. Sykes remained on the sideline. Will Lawrence, Kelly's chief of staff, said the two-term governor met with potential Democratic candidates for governor and offered advice on how each could approach the 2026 election cycle. 'No one told them, 'You can't run.' They can make their own decisions,' Lawrence said. 'There's a lot of give and take in those conversations. It was never forceful. Cindy was the one that kept coming to the governor trying to get her support. The governor kept saying, 'I'm not going to support you in the governor's race if that's what you choose to do.' The governor was very clear about that.' Lawrence said Kelly would prefer Democrats didn't set the stage for grueling primary battles in statewide races. In an interview, Holscher said it was disappointing Lawrence had participated in an effort to essentially anoint a Democratic nominee for governor. Holscher also asserted Lawrence attempted to leverage future political support from the governor to secure Holscher's vote for a bill altering regulation of child care facilities and exemptions to vaccination mandates. Holscher said it was concerning that Lawrence wielded financial influence over Democratic campaigns by controlling the governor's Middle of the Road political action committee. 'This whole situation is what frustrates Democrats,' Holscher said. She said Democrats suffered under Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. In the Senate, the GOP edge stands at 31-9 — the same mix as in 2018. The House GOP majority is 88-37, representing the addition of three Republican representatives since 2018. 'If you take a look, you know, we've had the governor's office the past seven years. We haven't advanced in terms of growing our numbers. We've gone backward,' she said. Lawrence, who has held a leadership role with the governor's $2.3 million PAC, made a push during the 2024 elections to alter the balance of power in the Legislature. The Republican supermajority was targeted by Democrats because the GOP's numerical advantage made it easier to override Kelly's vetoes. Outcome of the 2024 election was a disappointment for Democrats up and down the ballot, Lawrence said. Holscher notified Lawrence in mid-June about her views on the Kelly administration's involvement in the development of Democratic campaigns for governor. Holscher sent a text to Lawrence, obtained by Kansas Reflector, that included a warning that Holscher would 'swiftly hand over all the proof I have to the press' of the governor's intervention in Democratic campaigns. 'I am so done with the games coming from you and the governor's office,' Holscher's message to Lawrence said. 'I want to be very clear about something.' Holscher vowed she would go to the media if anyone affiliated with the Kelly administration 'says anything negative about me or my candidacy,' attempted to interfere with Holscher's hiring of campaign staff or in signing up volunteers, 'does so much as attempt to put a thumb on the scale in any way to interfere with this election' or made use of the Democratic Governors Association, which is led by Kelly, to 'impede or negatively influence' her Democratic primary. In the interview, Lawrence said language used by Holscher in the text could be interpreted as an attempt to intentionally gain something of value from Lawrence or Kelly against their will. 'It would be worthwhile for Cindy to take a look at the statute and reassess how she communicates with people,' Lawrence said. 'Extremely disappointing behavior. Questionable behavior. Not someone who has gubernatorial temperament, who has to compromise and negotiate on things every day in this building.' In a July social media post after Kelly embraced Corson's candidacy for governor, Holscher offered an explanation as to why Kelly chose to support Corson. Holscher wrote pressure had been applied by Lawrence regarding an upcoming vote during the 2025 session on House Bill 2045. It rolled back child care safety standards and tinkered with exemptions to vaccination mandates. Holscher voted against the bill, which passed the House and Senate with bipartisan votes and was signed into law by Kelly. 'I had received tons of emails from constituents adamantly opposed to the bill,' Holscher's post said. 'The gov and Will (her chief of staff), told me that if I didn't support it, the governor's office wouldn't be supportive of me in future races. I wasn't going to go against my district and the people I represent, so I voted 'no.' So, it looks like they are holding true to that threat.' Lawrence said he didn't agree with Holscher's analysis of meetings the senator had with the governor about the legislation. 'That vote has nothing to do with the gubernatorial election,' Lawrence said. Holscher, elected to the House in 2016 and to the Senate in 2020, has been endorsed by former Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers. He served in Kelly's first term before appointed to the job of Kansas state treasurer in 2021. Corson, who entered the Senate in 2021, said in an interview at the Capitol that he appreciated Kelly's expression of support. It was helpful to voters because Kansans wanted the kind of bipartisan, moderate leadership delivered by Kelly since sworn into office in 2019, Corson said. He said he hadn't taken notice of social media chatter about Holscher's claims of how the Kelly administration handled legislators who declined to fall into line with the governor. 'I just haven't seen any of that,' Corson said. 'I haven't paid attention to it. We've been out there talking to folks and trying to meet people in real life.' Candidates lined up to take part in the Kansas Republican Party's campaign for governor included Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, Senate President Ty Masterson, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and former Gov. Jeff Colyer.
Yahoo
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is running for governor in Kansas for 2026?
TOPEKA (KSNT) – 27 News has compiled a list of candidates from the Democrat and Republican parties, along with their core platforms and priorities ahead of election day. With the gubernatorial race heating up, voters face a wide range of choices – from seasoned veterans to political newcomers. This election reflects the ideological divides shaping Kansas's future on key issues like taxation, education and government efficiency. Candidates Democrats Ethan Corson – Corson is a Kansas State Senator, running on 'kitchen table issues': stronger public schools, lower taxes for middle-class Kansans and recruiting new businesses to the state. During his time as a Kansas state senator, Corson worked with both Republican and Democratic colleagues to eliminate the food sales tax, cut property taxes and remove taxes on Social Security. Ethan hopes to use his experience as the former chief of staff at the International Trade Administration to recruit businesses to Kansas and how to help Kansans, especially farmers, ship their products around the world. Cindy Holscher – Holscher is running on a platform of increased funding for public schools and protecting government programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. She was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 2016 where she co-founded the Women's Bipartisan Caucus and helped repeal many of the policies implemented by former Kansas Governor Sam Brownback. Marty Tuley – Tuley is positioning himself as a moderate Democrat, advocating for higher public teacher salaries, improving public health by promoting 'farm-to-table' foods, opposing transgender girls competing in girls' sports and legalizing marijuana to use the tax revenue to fund education and health programs. As part of his economic plan, Tuley opposes giving massive tax breaks to out-of-state corporations. Republicans – Schwab, the current secretary of state is running on cutting regulations and taxes that he says burden Kansas businesses and on ensuring rural Kansas is no longer left behind. As Kansas's secretary of state, Schwab advocated for increased election security, including voter ID requirements. As governor, he wants to prevent Chinese companies from buying land near military installations and work with the Trump administration to support Second Amendment rights. Dr. Jeff Colyer – Colyer served as the 47th governor of Kansas after Brownback left to become the U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom under the Trump Administration. Now running again, Colyer is committed to keeping critical race theory out of schools, supporting the oil and gas industry and opposing abortion in Kansas. Vicki Schmidt – Schmidt is the current Kansas insurance commissioner. Throughout her career, she claims to have saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars and plans to bring her experience identifying and eliminating government inefficiencies to the governor's office. Before her position as Kansas's insurance Commissioner, Schmidt was a Kansas senator for 14 years. Ty Masterson – Masterson currently serves as the Kansas Senate president. While in the Kansas House of Representatives, Masterson led efforts to pass a $2 billion tax cut for Kansans and plans to continue pursuing tax cuts as governor. He also advocates for increased funding for law enforcement and the removal of what he calls 'woke nonsense' from public schools, arguing that schools push a liberal agenda instead of focusing on core subjects. Charlotte O'Hara – O'Hara is campaigning to rein in state-level spending and end tax incentives for large corporations that she claims increase property taxes. She also advocates for partisan, direct elections of Kansas Supreme Court justices, arguing tat the current system gives the Kansas Bar Association a 'stranglehold' on judicial selection. Joy Eakins – Eakins supports school choice and limited government. She believes parents should be able to use public funds to educate their children as they see fit, including in private schools. Overall, she is campaigning to reduce government involvement in Kansans' daily lives. Doug Billings – Billings aims to continue Kansas's legacy in the aviation sector by attracting companies like SpaceX to the state. He proposes establishing the Kansas Department of Government Efficiency to cut government spending and create jobs. He is also campaigning to eliminate property taxes and protect the 'sacred property rights of every Kansan.' Stacy Rogers – Rogers presents herself as a political outsider and sees her lack of political background as an advantage. Her platform focuses on 'supporting families and protecting life' by expanding access to resources for parents and ensuring affordable healthcare. Don't forget to check out interviews with each candidate on KSNT's YouTube channel or tune into Inside Kansas Politics every Sunday for more in-depth coverage. Kansas Governor Laura Kelly talks about decision to leave National Governors Association For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Second Johnson County lawmaker enters Democratic primary for Kansas governor
A second Johnson County Democratic lawmaker has taken the plunge and announced a bid to become the next governor of Kansas. State Sen. Ethan Corson of Fairway joined Overland Park Sen. Cindy Holscher in the primary field, launching his campaign in an official statement Tuesday. 'I'm a lifelong Kansan, a dad with young kids, and a proud product of our public schools,' said Corson, 43. 'I'm running for governor to create opportunity for the next generation of Kansans, so they can build a life here.' In short, he said, that means making sure Kansas has both the best schools in America and the most affordable housing options. In a separate news release Tuesday morning, Lt. Gov. David Toland — long rumored to harbor gubernatorial aspirations — announced that he would not seek the job, choosing instead to focus on economic development work in his other role as commerce secretary. Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat who can't run again due to term limits, appeared to throw her weight behind Corson's candidacy in a post to X that stopped just short of an explicit endorsement. 'When I think about the type of leader Kansas will need to keep us on the path to prosperity — it's someone laser focused on the issues Kansans really care about,' Kelly said. 'Someone who understands how to bring people together to get good things done for Kansas. That's exactly who Ethan Corson is.' Holscher also welcomed him to the race. 'The more the merrier! Kansans deserve to hear from all the candidates,' Holscher said in a campaign statement. 'I'm confident that voters will learn I'm the best choice in this race, because I've proven I know how to fight, win, and move Kansas forward.' Besides Corson and Holscher, the only other Democrat who has filed to run is Marty Tuley, a Lawrence personal fitness trainer. Deep Johnson County field With Corson's entrance into the race, half of the 12 candidates vying to succeed Kelly live in Johnson County. On the Republican side, former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, former County Commissioner Charlotte O'Hara and conservative podcaster Doug Billings all hail from the state's wealthiest and most populous county. Excluding Colyer, who became governor in 2018 after Sam Brownback's resignation, Kansas last elected a Johnson County governor in 1975. A Johnson County Democrat hasn't served as chief executive in over a century. The county has long fought to shake the reputation that its candidates are out of touch with rural Kansas voters. Officials with both parties and some independent commentators say the paradigms that have held Johnson County candidates back in the past may be shifting. Who is Ethan Corson? Corson was first elected to the Senate in 2020, cruising to re-election by nearly 30 percentage points last November. He's pitching himself to voters as a bipartisan problem solver. Corson, who serves as a ranking member on the Senate's tax, transportation and judiciary committees, said he's always been focused 'on the kitchen table issues that matter to Kansans: strong public schools and lower taxes for working and middle-class families.' Among his legislative achievements, Corson cites his votes to help eliminate the state tax on groceries, remove taxes on Social Security and deliver targeted tax relief for seniors, veterans and middle-class Kansans. In impassioned speeches on the Senate floor this spring, Corson squared off against Republican lawmakers over their decision to create an automatic mechanism for lowering state income tax rates without first passing the property tax reform they promised to combat soaring valuations. Corson has also been an outspoken opponent of the Republican-backed constitutional amendment proposal aiming to reshape the Kansas Supreme Court by switching to direct election of justices. Corson attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned a bachelor's degree in political science and journalism before returning for a law degree. After graduating, Corson worked as an attorney in Washington D.C., going on to serve as a senior advisor to Obama-era Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and as chief of staff at the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration. According to his release, in that role, Corson helped manage a team of over 2,200 employees across 75 countries — 'experiences that gave Ethan a perspective on how to recruit businesses to Kansas and how to help Kansans, especially our farmers, ship their products around the world.' Corson returned to Kansas in 2019 to serve a stint as executive director of the state Democratic Party. 'But for Ethan, it all comes back to public education,' the release says. 'It's the education Ethan received in the Shawnee Mission School District — and the teachers and coaches who touched his life — that made his path possible.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who's running for governor of Kansas in 2026? Meet the 11 candidates so far
Come January 2027, Kansas will have a new governor. Democrat Laura Kelly has already won the job twice, making her ineligible to run again. The primary election isn't until Aug. 4, 2026, but 11 candidates have filed to run so far — from ambitious statewide officeholders to prominent lawmakers, former officials and entrepreneurs. Kansas has for decades traded its top state office back and forth between Republican and Democratic governors without consecutively electing different candidates from the same party. That factor suggests Republicans will have an edge in 2026. But Democrats will aim to capitalize on downballot backlash against the second Trump administration in the midterm, seeking to tie the eventual GOP nominee to unpopular policies. First, though, candidates must survive the bruising primary process. Democratic candidates Cindy Holscher Holscher, an Overland Park state senator elected to the Legislature in 2017, became the first major Democrat to launch a bid to succeed Kelly. Holscher bills herself as someone who's willing to stand up to what she called extremist Republicans while working to foster collaboration across the political spectrum. Marty Tuley Tuley, a Lawrence personal fitness trainer, is the only other Democrat to file for governor so far. According to his campaign website, Tuley's priorities include strengthening public education, legalizing marijuana and eliminating major incentives for out-of-state corporations. Republican candidates Scott Schwab Schwab, who lives in Overland Park, served a decade in the Legislature before being elected secretary of state in 2018. He won re-election in 2022 despite a fierce primary challenge fueled by his insistence that Kansas elections are free and fair. Schwab has criticized the Legislature for not enacting large-scale property tax reform. Jeff Colyer Colyer, an Overland Park surgeon, previously served as lieutenant governor and spent nearly a year as governor after Sam Brownback resigned the post in 2018. Colyer lost a razor-thin primary race to Kris Kobach that year and bowed out of the 2022 contest after sharing a cancer diagnosis. In 2024, he chaired Trump's campaign operation in Kansas. Vicki Schmidt Schmidt has twice been elected Kansas insurance commissioner, earning more votes than any other statewide candidate on both occasions. Under her leadership, the Insurance Department set a state record in 2023 by recovering $16 million for consumers. Schmidt was first elected to represent her Topeka district in the state Senate in 2005. Ty Masterson Masterson has served in the Legislature since 2009, taking over as president of the Kansas Senate in 2021. The Andover Republican has worked to undermine Gov. Kelly's policy priorities including Medicaid expansion, while weaponizing GOP supermajorities to enact anti-LGBTQ+ laws and tighten voting restrictions. Charlotte O'Hara O'Hara, who lives in Olathe, was ousted from her seat on the Johnson County Commission in 2024. She previously served one term in the Kansas House. O'Hara, who owns a casino chip manufacturing business, said her priorities include ending 'corporate welfare' tax incentives and overhauling public school curriculum. Joy Eakins Eakins, who owns a data analytics company, previously served one term on the Wichita school board. She has become a vocal critic of Kansas public education, advocating for a school voucher program. Eakins also promotes tax cuts and slashing regulations to encourage investment. Doug Billings Billings, an Olathe resident and conservative podcaster, was the first candidate to officially file to run for governor. He previously worked in human resources and says he wants to implement a state-level version of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, that could slash government spending. Stacy Rogers Rogers owns several businesses, including a cosmetics company, a children's clothing consignment chain and an event venue in Wichita, where she lives. Her campaign website mentions no specific policy priorities. Brandon Adams Adams, who lives in Auburn, has not yet created a campaign website. According to his LinkedIn page, Adams is a lieutenant with the Topeka Fire Department.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announces 2026 governor run
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On Wednesday, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt announced her bid to run for governor of Kansas in 2026. Schmidt, a Republican and native of Wichita, has been a local pharmacist for more than 40 years. She was elected as the Kansas insurance commissioner after serving in the Kansas Senate for Shawnee and Wabaunsee counties. Read more Politics stories from FOX4 Schmidt was elected in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. As insurance commissioner, she has recovered $145 million for Kansas families, according to a news release. Schmidt also said she reduced the cost of doing business in Kansas by more than $75 million. 'Throughout my personal and professional career, I have a track record of serving Kansans and actually getting things done,' Schmidt said. 'If elected governor, my top priority is the people of Kansas and making their lives better.' FOX4 Newsletters: Sign up to get top politics headlines in your inbox Republican candidates who have also announced their intention to run include: Scott Schwab, current Kansas secretary of state Jeff Colyer, former Kansas governor Vicki Schmidt, Kansas insurance commissioner Doug Billings, a podcaster Stacy Rogers, a business owner Joy Eakins, a former Wichita school board member Charlotte O'Hara, a former Johnson County commissioner Democratic candidates who have announced their intention to run include: Cindy Holscher, a state senator Other potential candidates could still emerge, as the official filing deadline is not until June 2026. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, and the general election is set for Nov. 3, 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
