Kansas Democrats

 

This year, I’m raising money for Kansas Democrats.

I created an ActBlue page called “Sunflower Democrats,” which is named after the state flower of Kansas.

Previously, I discussed candidates running for the Kansas Legislature who are included in the ActBlue fund.

This article will discuss Kansas candidates running for other positions.

I am raising money for candidates running for governor, the US Senate, the US House, and the Kansas School Board.

I am raising money for the Kansas Democratic Party, as well.

I am also raising money for an organization that opposes amending the Kansas Constitution to change how State Supreme Court justices are chosen.

Caption: an artistic depiction of a sunflower against a dark blue background.

The sunflower is the state flower and floral emblem of Kansas.

Cindy Holscher — Governor

Cindy Holscher is running for Kansas Governor. 

Holscher lives in Overland Park, in Johnson County. 

Incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly is term limited and ineligible to run for reelection.

Three Democrats and Seven Republicans are running for Kansas Governor. 

You can click on the tables and photos in this article to view larger versions of them. 

Cindy Holscher has served in both chambers of the Kansas Legislature.

Holscher was first elected to the Kansas House in 2016, and she was reelected in 2018.

Holscher was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2020, and she was reelected in 2024. 

On her campaign website, Holscher provides a detailed platform describing the policies she would advocate for as governor.

Holscher supports increasing the state minimum wage to $16 an hour and providing free school lunches for all students.

Holscher wants to expand Medicaid and legalize medical marijuana.

Elections for Governor in Kansas are highly competitive.

The three most recent Kansas Governor elections were each decided by less than 6%.

In a previous article, I compared the competitiveness of statewide elections in Kansas for various positions. 

Christy Davis — US Senate

Christy Davis is running for the US Senate in Kansas. 

Davis lives in Cottonwood Falls, in Chase County.  

Eleven Democrats and two Republicans are running for the US Senate in Kansas.

If Davis win the Democratic Primary, she will run against incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in November, in the likely event Marshall wins the Republican primary.

Christy Davis served as the Kansas Director for Rural Development for the United States Department of Agriculture.

On her campaign website, Davis supports funding healthcare and public schools, and reforming immigration policies to provide a pathway to citizenship while ending immigration practices that terrorize families. 

I was impressed by a speech Davis delivered last year at the No Kings 2 rally in Manhattan, Kansas, which I watched, but did not record.

Elections for US Senate in Kansas generally aren’t particularly close.

Since 2004, the closest US Senate election in Kansas took place in 2014, when Republican Pat Roberts defeated Greg Orman, an independent candidate, by 10.6%.

The second closest US Senate election, during that time, took place in 2020, when Republican Roger Marshall was first elected to the Senate.

In 2020, Marshall (R) defeated Barbara Bollier (D) by 11.4%.

Don Coover — US House (KS-2)

Don Coover is running for the US House in the Kansas Second Congressional District.

Coover is running unopposed in the Democratic Primary.

Coover will run against incumbent Republican Congressman Derek Schmidt in the general election in November, in the likely event Schmidt wins the Republican primary.

Coover is the only Kansas congressional candidate who is running unopposed in their party’s primary election.

Don Coover is a military veteran, veterinarian, and rancher.

You can read about Coover’s resume and work history on his campaign website.

Coover lives on a ranch in Galesburg, a small town in Neosho County, in Southeast Kansas.

In an interview with the Kansas Reflector, Coover criticized tariffs for hurting farmers and expressed concern for the sustainability of rural hospitals.

 

While the Kansas Second Congressional District generally isn’t competitive, it can be under the right conditions.

The Kansas Second was decided by less than 10% in 2018, 2008, and 2006, each of which were particularly good election years for Democrats, nationwide.

In a previous article, I discussed the competitiveness of the four Kansas congressional districts. 

Amy Diediker — Kansas School Board (Dist. 3)

Amy Diediker is running for the Kansas School Board in District 3.

Dist. 3 is located in Johnson and Miami counties. 

The Kansas Board of Education, which consists of 10 elected members, helps determine education policy for the state’s K-12 schools. 

Five of the 10 seats on the Kansas School Board are up for election this year.

I use the terms “Kansas School Board” and “Kansas Board of Education” interchangeably.

Amy Diediker is a former elementary music teacher, who lives in Olathe.

On her campaign website, Diediker supports fully funding schools and special education, strong academic standards, and supporting and retaining excellent educators.

Michelle Dombrosky (R), who currently represents Dist. 3, is not running for reelection.

Therefore, the election in Dist. 3 is for an open seat. 

Amy Diediker is running unopposed in the Democratic Primary. 

Jim McMullen and Steve Roberts are running in the Republican Primary.

Diediker will run against the winner of the Republican Primary in November. 

 

 

Members of the Kansas Board of Education are elected to four-year terms.

Dombrosky is the only Kansas School Board member who was elected in 2022 by less than 10%. 

In 2022, Dombrosky (R) received 52.4%, and Sheila Albers (D) received 47.6%.

Dombrosky won by 4.8%, or 5,656 votes.

Kansas Democratic Party

I am raising money for the Kansas Democratic Party to support the state party’s efforts to convince Kansans to vote and persuade voters to vote for Democratic candidates and causes. 

I am also raising money for the state party to help support its ongoing operations.  

Kansas United for Impartial Courts

I am raising money for “Kansas United for Impartial Courts,” an organization that opposes a proposed state constitutional amendment that would change how Kansas Supreme Court Justices are chosen.

During the Aug. 4 primary election, Kansas voters will decide whether to approve the proposed amendment.

This is a rather complicated topic, which I plan to discuss in a future article.

What You Can Do

You can support the candidates and causes discussed above through “Sunflower Democrats.”

The Kansas Primary is Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Make sure to research the candidates and questions that will appear on your primary ballot. I plan to write many articles between now and then.

The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3. 

Make sure to research the candidates that will appear on your general election ballot, as well.

I plan to write plenty of articles about Kansas races, up and down the ballot. 

 

So make sure to keep reading Meticulous Musings, as I continue to cover the 2026 Kansas elections.