---
title: "Holscher vs. Masterson: 2026 Kansas governor’s race"
url: "https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-governor-ks"
updated: "2026-10-01"
source: "Candidates' campaign sites and Ballotpedia, quoted verbatim"
publisher: "Pluribus"
---

# 2026 Kansas governor’s race: Cindy Holscher (D) vs. Ty Masterson (R)

Rating: Tilt R · Election: November 3, 2026 · Ballot checked: October 9, 2026 · Positions captured: October 1, 2026

The 2026 Kansas gubernatorial election features Democratic state Senator Cindy Holscher facing Republican Senate President Ty Masterson to succeed term-limited Democratic Governor Laura Kelly. The race hinges heavily on property tax relief, data center development, public education funding versus school choice, and Medicaid expansion.

## Candidates

- **Cindy Holscher** (Democrat) · [Campaign site](https://cindyforkansas.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)
- **Ty Masterson** (Republican) · [Campaign site](https://www.mastersonforgovernor.com) · [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

## Issues

### Property Taxes and Tax Policy

Salience: high

Holscher advocates lowering residential property assessment rates from 11.5% to 9.0% with targeted homestead exemptions, whereas Masterson proposes the Kansas Homeowners Bill of Rights to cap assessment increases alongside broad state tax cuts.

**Cindy Holscher:** Lowers residential assessment rates and homesteads

Holscher proposes cutting residential property tax assessment rates from 11.5% to 9.0% to provide broad relief for homeowners across income levels. She also advocates expanding homestead tax exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans so rising property tax burdens do not force them from their homes. Furthermore, Holscher supports eliminating state taxes on essential items like diapers and feminine hygiene products.

- Lower residential property tax assessment rates from 11.5% to 9.0%
- Expand homestead property tax exemptions for seniors and disabled veterans by excluding Social Security income and raising income/home value limits
- Eliminate state sales tax on essential hygiene products for women and babies
- Fully fund general and special education at the state level to prevent shifting tax burdens onto local property taxes

> “lower residential property tax assessment rates from 11.5% to 9.0%, providing significant tax relief for homeowners across all income levels. She'll add exemptions to our tax system, too, to make sure that the property tax burden doesn't push seniors and disabled veterans out of their homes.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Caps property taxes and reduces spending

Masterson champions the Kansas Homeowners Bill of Rights to cap rapid property tax increases and rein in local and state government spending. Building on his legislative record of passing a $2 billion tax cut package, he pledges ongoing tax cuts to lower costs for workers, families, and businesses.

- Enact the Kansas Homeowners Bill of Rights to cap rapid property tax increases
- Rein in government spending to ease fiscal pressure on taxpayers
- Continue broad tax cuts following his leadership in passing a $2 billion tax reduction in the Senate

> “caps the rapid increases, reins in government spending, and puts the brakes on the runaway train that's pricing Kansans out of their homes. Kansans have waited long enough. Making Kansas affordable again starts with delivering property tax relief.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

> “In the Legislature, I led efforts to pass a $2 billion tax cut for Kansans. As governor, I will keep cutting taxes until Kansas is one of the most affordable states to work, raise a family, and start a business.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

### Energy and Data Center Development

Salience: high

Holscher calls for an explicit moratorium on new corporate data centers to safeguard resources and energy costs, while Masterson offers a Ratepayer Protection Pledge to shield consumers without halting new energy developments.

**Cindy Holscher:** Enacts moratorium on new data centers

Holscher calls for an immediate moratorium on new corporate data center developments until environmental, energy, and budgetary guardrails are established. She warns that unregulated data centers threaten agricultural land, strain local water supplies, and spike electric utility costs for residential consumers while receiving tax incentives.

- Establish an immediate moratorium on approving new giant corporate data centers
- Implement state guardrails to protect farmland, water supplies, and electricity rate costs
- End corporate taxpayer handouts for data center projects that lack community protections

> “Cindy has called for a moratorium on new giant corporate data centers — which raise our energy costs and put our farmland and water supplies at risk, often in exchange for taxpayer handouts — until we can set up guardrails to protect our environment, our jobs, and our budgets.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Protects utility ratepayers from cost shifting

Masterson opposes a complete development ban and instead proposes the Kansas Ratepayer Protection Pledge. His initiative aims to prevent outside interests from shifting higher utility costs onto Kansas families, farmers, schools, hospitals, and small businesses.

- Advance the Kansas Ratepayer Protection Pledge to protect utility consumers
- Shield domestic energy users and local businesses from utility rate increases driven by outside developments

> “Protecting families, farms, schools, hospitals, and small businesses from being stuck with higher costs created by powerful outside interests.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Campaign site](https://www.mastersonforgovernor.com)

### Public Education and School Choice

Salience: high

Holscher opposes private school vouchers and advocates for dedicated funding for special education and free school lunches, whereas Masterson supports educational choice vouchers, parental controls, higher teacher pay, and eliminating ideological content.

**Cindy Holscher:** Fully funds public and special education

Holscher opposes private school voucher programs and advocates for fully funding public education classrooms statewide. She specifically targets special education underfunding, proposing to finance it through savings from Medicaid expansion and new state tax revenue from legal cannabis sales, while also supporting universal free school lunches.

- Fully fund K-12 public education and special education classrooms across the state
- Direct revenues from Medicaid expansion savings and medical marijuana sales toward special education
- Implement universal free school lunches for all K-12 public school students
- Oppose private school voucher expansion proposals

> “While the state has made progress funding general education, special education has still been underfunded. Fully funding special education would ensure that all classrooms across the state have the resources they need and all Kansas kids get the opportunities they deserve.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Expands school choice and raises teacher pay

Masterson advocates for expanding educational choice options for parents and increasing compensation for effective teachers. Pointing to low proficiency rates in reading and math, he promises to eliminate ideological curricula from public schools and hold educational funding accountable to academic outcomes.

- Expand educational choice options and parental oversight in K-12 education
- Increase pay for effective K-12 teachers
- Focus curricula strictly on core academic subjects like reading and math, prohibiting 'woke' educational initiatives
- Institute accountability measures on state education spending based on student performance

> “I’ll raise pay for good teachers, make sure parents have a say in their kids’ education, and hold our education dollars accountable.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

> “TEACH READING. TEACH MATH. NOT WOKE NONSENSE.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

### Healthcare and Medicaid Expansion

Salience: high

Holscher strongly supports expanding Medicaid to cover working families and shore up rural hospitals, whereas Masterson has repeatedly blocked Medicaid expansion in the state legislature.

**Cindy Holscher:** Expands Medicaid and rural healthcare access

Holscher places Medicaid expansion at the forefront of her healthcare plan, arguing it will deliver cost relief to low- and moderate-income Kansans while stabilizing financially threatened rural hospitals. She also supports expanded telemedicine access, investments in mental healthcare services, and the legalization of harm-reduction tools like fentanyl test strips.

- Expand Medicaid to cover low- and moderate-income working Kansans
- Provide financial support to prevent rural hospitals from closing
- Expand state coverage for telemedicine and community mental health services
- Legalize fentanyl test strips to reduce accidental drug overdoses

> “Healthcare cost relief and expanded access to medical services for low- and moderate-income individuals and families, lowering the burden on the health care system and shoring up rural hospitals at risk of closing.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Opposes legislative Medicaid expansion

Masterson has consistently blocked Medicaid expansion efforts in the state legislature, prioritizing conservative fiscal policies and market-driven approaches to healthcare. His platform focuses on protecting hospitals and businesses from cost shifts without creating new government health programs.

- Consistently blocked legislative efforts to enact Medicaid expansion in the Kansas Senate
- Focus on market-focused healthcare policies and protecting facilities under his ratepayer pledge

> “Cindy has voted over and over to expand Medicaid, protect our rural hospitals, and legalize medicinal cannabis, proposals that were blocked by Ty Masterson in the Senate.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Campaign site](https://www.mastersonforgovernor.com)

### Labor, Minimum Wage, and Worker Rights

Salience: medium

Holscher supports raising the minimum wage to $16/hour, authorizing local wage increases, and repealing right-to-work, while Masterson rejects statutory wage mandates in favor of tax cuts and regulatory rollbacks.

**Cindy Holscher:** Raises minimum wage and repeals right-to-work

Holscher advocates boosting the state minimum wage to $16 per hour and granting local municipalities the authority to set higher local wages to keep pace with living costs. She also calls for repealing Kansas's right-to-work law and requiring paid sick leave for workers.

- Increase the Kansas state minimum wage to $16 per hour
- Authorize local municipalities to raise local minimum wages based on regional cost-of-living differences
- Enact mandatory paid sick leave protections for workers
- Repeal Kansas's right-to-work law

> “Immediate income increases for workers earning entry-level wages, providing immediate purchasing power and economic stability. Allow municipalities to raise the minimum wage higher to keep up with cost of living differences across the state.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Promotes deregulation and pro-growth economic policies

Masterson advocates for pro-growth economic strategies centered on lower tax rates, reduced regulatory mandates, and business expansion. Endorsed by state business associations as well as select labor unions including SMART-TD and IBEW Local 124, he emphasizes market-driven employment growth over government wage mandates.

- Reduce business regulations and lower tax rates to foster economic expansion
- Oppose state wage mandates in favor of market-driven job creation
- Secured cross-over endorsements from trade unions like SMART-TD and IBEW Local 124 alongside major business PACs

> “We need pro-growth policies to get Kansas back on track – lower taxes, fewer regulations, and more opportunities for workers.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

### Social Issues and LGBTQ+ Policies

Salience: medium

Masterson highlights leading legislative bans on transgender women in female sports, minor gender-affirming surgeries, and university DEI programs, whereas Holscher opposes these social restrictions.

**Cindy Holscher:** Opposes culture-war restrictions and advances inclusion

Holscher opposes legislative restrictions on LGBTQ+ individuals and gender-affirming healthcare. Her broader platform focuses on equity, civil rights, and blocking conservative social mandates in state government.

- Consistently voted against legislative bans targeting LGBTQ+ individuals and gender-affirming care
- Focus on bipartisan governance, civil rights, and opposing social extremism

> “Cindy will fight for all Kansans — to make Kansas more affordable, to make our schools strong for our kids, and to protect seniors, veterans, and farmers.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Bans trans women in sports and DEI programs

Masterson emphasizes his leadership in overriding gubernatorial vetoes to ban transgender women from competing in women's sports and end transgender surgeries for minors. He also led efforts to eliminate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) requirements across Kansas public universities.

- Enacted bans prohibiting biological males from competing in female sports categories
- Prohibited transgender surgical procedures for minors
- Eliminated DEI policies and funding requirements across public higher education institutions
- Led successful veto overrides against Democratic Governor Laura Kelly on culture-war bills

> “We’ve banned men from competing in women’s sports, ended transgender surgeries for minors, and stopped DEI policies in our higher education system – all while overriding vetoes from Laura Kelly.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

### Public Safety and Crime

Salience: medium

Masterson emphasizes expanding public safety budgets by 24% and enforcing tough-on-crime policies, while Holscher focuses on criminal justice reform and health-centered harm reduction tools.

**Cindy Holscher:** Supports criminal justice reform and harm reduction

Holscher focuses her public safety priorities on criminal justice reform, minority protections, and harm-reduction strategies. She supported legalizing fentanyl test strips to reduce accidental drug overdoses.

- Focus on criminal justice reform and minority policy issues
- Supported legalizing fentanyl test strips as a public health approach to substance abuse

> “Criminal justice and minority issues.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Increases police funding and tough-on-crime policies

Masterson highlights his legislative record in expanding the state public safety budget by 24% over five years. He promises to fully back law enforcement agencies and champion strict tough-on-crime penalties to reduce violent crime.

- Helped increase the state public safety budget by 24% over five years in the state Senate
- Promote tough-on-crime judicial policies and support law enforcement personnel

> “I will stand with the men and women in law enforcement, back tough on crime policies, and ensure we fund our police.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

### Cannabis Legalization

Salience: medium

Holscher champions legalizing medical and recreational cannabis to generate state tax revenue for special education, whereas Masterson has consistently blocked cannabis legalization in the legislature.

**Cindy Holscher:** Legalizes medical and recreational cannabis

Holscher advocates legalizing both medical and recreational cannabis in Kansas to build an in-state market for farmers and small businesses. She proposes directing cannabis sales tax revenues directly toward fully funding K-12 special education.

- Legalize medicinal and recreational marijuana in Kansas
- Earmark tax revenues from cannabis sales to fully fund special education
- Study recreational marijuana policies in neighboring states to establish effective regulations
- Stop losing tax revenue to neighboring legal states

> “Legalizing it here at home would raise money for schools and public services, build an industry in Kansas of farmers and small businesses, and end the criminalization of behavior that is already legal in many neighboring states.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Opposes cannabis legalization

Masterson has consistently blocked medical marijuana legalization bills in the Kansas Senate, maintaining a conservative opposition to legal cannabis.

- Blocked medical marijuana legislation from passing the state Senate
- Opposes expanding legal cannabis access

> “Cindy has voted over and over to expand Medicaid, protect our rural hospitals, and legalize medicinal cannabis, proposals that were blocked by Ty Masterson in the Senate.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Campaign site](https://www.mastersonforgovernor.com)

### Housing Affordability and Renter Protections

Salience: medium

Holscher focuses on building affordable housing units and capping tenant late fees, while Masterson addresses housing affordability through capping property tax growth on homeowners.

**Cindy Holscher:** Builds affordable housing and caps rental fees

Holscher proposes increasing the supply of affordable housing units in communities across Kansas. To assist renters, she advocates limiting financial penalties for late rent payments to prevent debt accumulation and eviction risks.

- Invest in building affordable housing in communities in need
- Cap late fees for rental payments to protect tenants from eviction and debt cycles
- Expand property tax exemptions for senior and veteran homeowners

> “Cindy will fight to build more affordable housing in communities that need it. And she'll fight for fairness for renters as well as homeowners, so if they make a late payment, they're not at risk of losing their homes.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Lowers housing costs via property tax caps

Masterson addresses housing affordability by capping property tax growth through his Homeowners Bill of Rights, aiming to reduce mortgage burdens that price Kansans out of their homes.

- Cap rapid property tax increases through the Homeowners Bill of Rights
- Reduce total tax costs to make homeownership affordable

> “caps the rapid increases, reins in government spending, and puts the brakes on the runaway train that's pricing Kansans out of their homes.”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

### Government Reform and Elections

Salience: medium

Holscher advocates for independent redistricting panels, prohibiting mid-decade redistricting, and restricting corporate PAC money, whereas Masterson focuses on signing a term limits pledge and constitutional limited government.

**Cindy Holscher:** Supports independent redistricting and term limits

Holscher advocates for systemic government reforms including establishing an independent redistricting panel, banning mid-decade redistricting, instituting legislative term limits, and restricting corporate PAC money in state elections.

- Establish an independent redistricting panel for legislative boundaries
- Prohibit mid-decade redistricting to protect voting rights
- Enact term limits for elected state politicians
- Limit corporate PAC contributions in state elections

> “Creating an independent panel for redistricting and prohibiting mid-decade redistricting to ensure that Kansans’ voting rights are further protected.”
> — Cindy Holscher, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Cindy_Holscher)

**Ty Masterson:** Supports term limits and limited government

Masterson signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge committing to term limits for elected officials while promoting limited government principles and constitutional governance.

- Signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge for elected officeholders
- Return government operations to constitutionally mandated functions

> “Return government to its constitutionally mandated functions”
> — Ty Masterson, via [Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Ty_Masterson)

[View this race on 2026election.com](https://www.2026election.com/race/2026-governor-ks)