Tag: kansas
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Holscher and Masterson to face off for one of five Democratic-held governorships up for election this year in a state Donald Trump win in 2024
Cindy Holscher (D) and Ty Masterson (R) are running in the general election for governor of Kansas. Incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly (D) is term-limited. This governorship is one of five that Democrats are defending this year in a state that President Donald Trump (R) won in the 2024 presidential election. Trump defeated Kamala Harris (D) in the state 57.2% to 41.0%. Kelly defeated Derek Schmidt (R) in the 2022 gubernatorial election, 49.5%…
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Two states have veto-proof majorities opposite their governor's party — that could change this year
Heading into the 2026 elections, there are two states with a governor of one party and a veto-proof state legislative majority of the opposing party: Kansas and Kentucky. At least one legislative chamber is up for election this year in both states, meaning their veto-proof majority status could change. Voters in Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina,…
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Kansas three-day grace period for mail ballots temporarily reinstated ahead of primary
On July 16, a Kansas district judge ordered the temporary reinstatement of a policy allowing advance mail ballots to be accepted if the ballots are postmarked by election day and are received within three days of the election, blocking a 2025 law that changed the deadline for ballots to be received to 7:00 p.m. on…
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Kansas would join 21 other states in electing state Supreme Court justices if amendment passes Aug. 4; if rejected, Kansas would remain the only state with a bar-controlled nominating commission
Kansas voters will head to the polls on Aug. 4 for the state’s primary and are set to also decide on a constitutional amendment that would provide for the election of the Kansas Supreme Court. Currently, the seven justices are selected through assisted appointment and must stand for retention at the next even-year general election…
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Second-most incumbents retiring in a midterm year in Kansas since 2010
Seventeen Kansas state legislative incumbents are retiring in 2026, the second-highest number in any midterm election since 2010. This is a 29% decrease in the number of incumbents retiring compared to 2022. In Kansas, state representatives are up for election every two years, while state senators are up every four years (presidential election years). Fourteen…
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Federal courts block proxy advisor disclosure laws in Kansas and Indiana
Federal judges struck down state proxy advisor disclosure laws in Kansas and Indiana within four days of each other in late June 2026, handing Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis their second and third consecutive court victories against such laws. On June 24, U.S. District Court Judge Holly L. Teeter of the U.S. District…
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All four U.S. House incumbents in Kansas are running in contested primaries for the first time since 2014
This year’s filing deadline for candidates running for the U.S. House of Representatives in Kansas was June 1, 2026. For the first time since 2014, all four incumbents are running in contested primaries. They include one Democrat and three Republicans. There was one incumbent in a contested primary in 2024, none in 2022, one in…
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Kansas could become the first state to change its supreme court selection method since 2021
On August 4, as Kansans vote in primaries for offices including governor and U.S. Senate, a constitutional amendment to change how the state’s supreme court justices are selected will be on the ballot. Currently, the state uses an assisted-appointment method in which a nominating commission sends a list of applicants to the governor, who selects…
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Five Republican trifecta states and one with divided government enact bills reducing agency power in 2026
State legislative sessions in 2026 have featured a number of bills affecting the administrative state, with five Republican trifecta states and one state with a divided government enacting bills that reduce the power of state agencies. The term administrative state refers to executive branch agencies with unelected officials (in this case, at the state level)…
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Kansas legislators override veto on citizenship checks for voter list maintenance, enact three other election bills in 2026 session
The Kansas Legislature adjourned its 2026 regular session on April 10 after enacting four election-related bills, including one that was initially vetoed by Gov. Laura Kelly (D). The Republican-controlled legislature voted on April 9 to override Kelly’s veto of HB 2437, which requires certain new data sources to be used in maintaining the accuracy of…