2018 Kansas gubernatorial election

The 2018 Kansas gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Kansas. Incumbent Republican Governor Sam Brownback was term-limited and could not seek a third consecutive term.

On July 26, 2017, Brownback was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve as United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on January 24, 2018; he resigned the governorship on January 31 and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer. Colyer was eligible to seek a full term and announced his candidacy prior to becoming Governor of Kansas. In the August 7 primary, Colyer ran against CPA and incumbent Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer, Topeka doctor and 2006 Republican Kansas gubernatorial nominee Jim Barnett, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach.

On August 7, 2018, Kobach defeated Colyer in the Republican gubernatorial primary by an initial margin of 191 votes, a lead that increased to 361 votes by August 14, although discrepancies in some counties needed resolution and provisional and absentee ballots may not have been counted in some counties. Colyer conceded the Republican nomination after the final votes were tallied, in which Kobach's margin grew slightly. State Senator Laura Kelly easily won the Democratic nomination and won the general election, assuming office on January 14, 2019. Businessman Greg Orman, who finished second as an independent in the 2014 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Republican Pat Roberts, ran for governor as an independent candidate.

Given that Kansas is the only state which has no gubernatorial statutory qualifications whatsoever in its constitution, seven teenagers, including one who has never even been to the state of Kansas, ran for the office in this election cycle. A debate took place on September 5 between the three candidates that consistently polled above 5%. Polls in late August had Kelly and Kobach running close with Orman polling in the single digits.

Kelly's win continued a streak of party turnover for governor of Kansas, as Kansas has not elected two consecutive governors of the same party since William Avery succeeded fellow Republican John Anderson Jr. following the 1964 election, and neither major party has held the governorship for longer than eight consecutive years since Republican John McCuish left office in 1957.

This is the last gubernatorial election in the country where an incumbent governor lost re-nomination.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominated

• Kris Kobach, Secretary of State of Kansas and nominee for KS-03 in 2004
  • Running mate: Wink Hartman, businessman and candidate for KS-04 in 2010

Eliminated in primary

• Jim Barnett, former state senator, nominee for governor in 2006 and candidate for KS-01 in 2010
  • Running mate: Rosemary Hansen, Barnett's wife
• Jeff Colyer, incumbent governor and candidate for KS-03 in 2002
  • Running mate: Tracey Mann, incumbent Lieutenant Governor
• Patrick Kucera, businessman
  • Running Mate: Patricia Reitz
• Tyler Ruzich, high school student
  • Running mate: Dominic Scavuzzo, high school student
• Ken Selzer, Kansas Insurance Commissioner
  • Running mate: Jen Sanderson, businesswoman
• Joseph Tutera Jr., high school student
  • Running mate: Phillip Clemente, high school student

Withdrew

• Wink Hartman, businessman and candidate for KS-04 in 2010 (ran for lieutenant governor). Hartman joined Kris Kobach's campaign as his Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate.

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominated

• Laura Kelly, state senator
  • Running mate: Lynn Rogers, state senator

Eliminated in primary

• Arden Andersen, physician
  • Running mate: Dale Cowsert, businessman
• Jack Bergeson, high school student
  • Running mate: Alexander Cline, high school student
• Carl Brewer, former Mayor of Wichita
  • Running mate: Chris Morrow, former mayor of Gardner
• Josh Svaty, former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture and former state representative
  • Running mate: Katrina Gier Lewison, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education member, veteran

Withdrew

• Jim Ward, Minority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives

Declined

• Paul Davis, former Minority Leader of the Kansas House of Representatives and nominee for governor in 2014 (running for KS-02)

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Independent candidates

Candidates

On the ballot

• Rick Kloos
  • Running mate: Nathaniel Kloos, son of Rick Kloos
• Greg Orman, businessman and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2014
  • Running mate: John Doll, state senator

Write-in

• Aaron Coleman, college student

Failed to qualify

• Ilan Cohen, high school student from Maryland
• Max Correa, college student from North Carolina
• Joe Larry Hunter, former inmate
• Andy Maskin, New York City Advertiser
  • Running mate: Scott Goodwin, Connecticut Advertiser
• Victor Redko, McGill University student
• Jared Rogers, University of Pennsylvania student
• Nicholas Schrieber, college student from Delaware
  • Running mate: Matthew Ueckermann, college student from Maryland
• Conner Shelton, college student from Pennsylvania

Libertarian convention

Candidates

Nominated

• Jeff Caldwell, executive committee member for the Libertarian Party of Kansas
  • Running mate: Mary Gerlt

Withdrew

• Thomas Padgett

General election

Predictions

Debates

Endorsements

Polling

Results

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Harvey (largest city: Newton)
• Johnson (largest municipality: Overland Park)
• Sedgewick (largest municipality: Wichita)

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Jefferson (largest municipality: Valley Falls)

By congressional district

Kelly won two of four congressional districts, including one that was carried by a Republican in the concurrent congressional elections.

Maps

References

External links

• Candidates at Vote Smart
• Candidates at Ballotpedia

Debates

• GOP Primary Debate, February 17, 2018

Official campaign websites

• Jeff Caldwell (L) for Governor
• Ilan Cohen (I) for Governor Archive
• Aaron Coleman (I) for Governor Archive
• Laura Kelly (D) for Governor
• Rick Kloos (I) for Governor
• Kris Kobach (R) for Governor Archived August 23, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
• Greg Orman (I) for Governor