Who are the Democrats running for Kansas Governor?

 

Three Democrats, Cindy Holscher, Ethan Corson, and Curt Skoog, are running for Kansas Governor

Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson are both State Senators in the Kansas Legislature.

Curt Skoog is the Mayor of Overland Park.

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

This article will discuss the Democrats running for Kansas Governor and their platforms.

But before we examine the differences between the candidates, let’s discuss some of the things they have in common.

Cindy Holscher, Ethan Corson, and Curt Skoog all live in Johnson County, Kansas.

Cindy Holscher and Curt Skoog live in Overland Park.

Ethan Corson lives in Fairway.

In 2025, Johnson County was the largest county in Kansas, by population.

According to data from the US Census, 21.4% of Kansas residents lived in Johnson County in 2025.

That means that more than 1 in 5 Kansans lived in Johnson County, last year.

Johnson County is located in northeastern Kansas, along the Kansas-Missouri border.

None of the candidates running for governor have introduced themselves to the Indivisible chapter in Manhattan, Kansas, where I am an active member.

Some candidates, running for other positions, have spoken at our No Kings rallies and visited us at other events.

Cindy Holscher, Ethan Corson, and Curt Skoog all support expanding Medicaid.

Kansas is one of only 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, which is also known as Obamacare.

Here is a map showing which states have and haven’t expanded Medicaid, which was created by KFF, a nonprofit that covers healthcare policy.

I discussed the debate surrounding Medicaid Expansion in Kansas, and previous attempts to expand the state’s medicaid program, in an article I wrote in 2022.

Holscher takes the lead

A poll of likely Democratic primary voters found Cindy Holscher is the leading candidate in Democratic Primary for Kansas governor.

The poll asked respondents who they would vote for in the Democratic Primary for Kansas governor, if the election were held today.

55% weren’t sure, 31% supported Holscher, 8% supported Corson, and 5% supported Skoog.

If respondents weren’t sure who they would vote for, they were asked who they would vote for, if they had to choose.

The totals below include respondents who supported a candidate in the first question, and undecided respondents who indicated support for a candidate in the second question.

44% said they would not vote, if the election were held today, 37% supported Holscher, 10% supported Corson, and 7% supported Skoog.

Holscher had a strong lead over the other candidates, but it’s worth keeping in mind that 44% of likely voters were undecided in who they would vote for, and weren’t leaning toward a particular candidate.

The poll was conducted by Change Research on behalf of Civic Clarity, a nonprofit that operates the Capitol Bee, a Kansas news organization.

The poll surveyed 1,022 likely Kansas Democratic Primary voters from June 11-15, and it was not commissioned by a candidate in the race.

Results were weighted to the expected primary electorate based on age, gender, race and ethnicity, education, and region.

I recommend reading the detailed article that the Capitol Bee wrote about the results of their poll.

This table shows candidates running for governor, as well as candidates running in other statewide elections in Kansas.

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. 

Beginning in 1974, Kansas governors have been elected to four-year terms.

Prior to 1974, Kansas governors were elected to two-year terms.

Since 1974, no political party has held the office of Kansas governor for more than two consecutive terms.

Laura Kelly, a Democrat, was elected governor in 2018, and she was reelected in 2022.

This means Kansas will likely elect a Republican governor in 2026.

But just because no political party has held the office of Kansas governor for more than two consecutive terms, in the past 50 years, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

It just means it hasn’t happened yet.

Considering Trump’s constant abuses of power and mismanagement of the economy, Democrats will likely do well in 2026.

It would take a political environment, like the one we see today, for Democrats to break historical precedent, and win a Kansas governor’s race, even though the state has had a Democratic governor for the previous two terms.

The Cook Political Report considers the Kansas Governor’s Race to Lean Republican.

Cindy Holscher

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. 

 

Holscher represented Dist. 16, located in Johnson County, in the Kansas House.

Holscher represents Dist. 8, located in Johnson County, in the Kansas Senate.

On her campaign website, Cindy Holscher discussed the role she played in the repeal of the Brownback income tax cuts, which devastated the Kansas Budget.

Holscher wants to increase the state minimum wage to $16 an hour, fully fund special education, and provide free school lunches for all students.

Holscher wants to legalize marijuana for both recreational and medical purposes.

Holscher wants to eliminate taxes on diapers and feminine hygiene products.

Holscher also wants to create an independent panel to oversee redistricting, and prohibit mid-decade redistricting.

On her campaign website, Holscher said she will fight for all Kansans.

“Too many Kansans are working hard and still falling behind,” she said.

“Instead of standing up for Kansans, extremist politicians are pushing dangerous policies that hurt our families and divide our communities. I’m different. I’m running for Governor to fight for all Kansans, not the special interests who are hurting our families. I will fight for our kids, our seniors, our veterans, and our farmers.”

Former Gov. John Carlin and former Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers have endorsed Cindy Holscher.

Cindy Holscher has chosen KC Ohaebosim as her running mate.

Ohaebosim is pronounced “Oh-HOB-oh-sum”.

KC Ohaebosim represents Dist. 89 in the Kansas House.

Dist. 89 includes parts of Wichita and Bel Aire, in Sedgwick County.

Ohaebosim was first elected to the Kansas House in 2016.

“Ohaebosim has earned national recognition for his legislative leadership, including being named Regional Legislator of the Year by the National Black Caucus of State Legislators in both 2022 and 2025,” Holscher’s campaign website states.

“As a state representative, Ohaebosim voted to end the disastrous Brownback tax experiment, strengthen civil rights protections, and support policies aimed at lowering costs for working families.”

Ethan Corson

Ethan Corson represents Dist. 7, located in Johnson County, in the Kansas Senate.

Corson was first elected to the Kansas Senate in 2020. He was reelected in 2024.

Ethan Corson worked for the US Department of Commerce during the Obama Administration.

On his campaign website, Corson said he opened access to international markets for American producers, including Kansas farmers, while working for the Commerce Department.

Corson supports fully funding special education and raising pay and providing better retirement plans for teachers.

Corson promises to veto any bill that funds private schools using public dollars.

Corson supports investing in community colleges, technical colleges, and apprenticeships.

Corson supports investing in infrastructure.

Corson said he will stand up to the federal government and the presence of ICE in Kansas, which he said is causing chaos in the state.

Corson wants to strengthen ethics rules, reduce conflicts of interest, and curb the influence of dark money in state government.

On his campaign website, Ethan Corson wrote that he will fight for the next generation of Kansans, so they build a life in the state.

“As a lifelong Kansan, Ethan Corson was raised with Kansas values: work hard, give back, and always keep your word,” he wrote.

“That’s why Ethan has fought to protect our rights, fund public schools, and lower costs for working families. Ethan is running for Governor to fight for Kansans and make sure the next generation can build a life right here at home.”

Gov. Laura Kelly, former Gov. Kathleen Sebilius, and Lt. Gov. David Toland have endorsed Ethan Corson.

Planned Parenthood Great Plains Votes has endorsed Ethan Corson as well.

Ethan Corson chose Renee Duxler as his running mate.

Renee Duxler spent most of her career as a social worker in Wichita supporting children with developmental disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, hospice patients, and families navigating healthcare challenges.

Duxler currently lives in Salina, where she has served as the President and CEO of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ethan Corson accepted a $1,000 donation to his 2024 state senate campaign from CoreCivic, a private prison company that operates a prison in Leavenworth.

Cindy Holscher has critized Corson for accepting the donation.

Curt Skoog

Curt Skoog is the Mayor of Overland Park, a city in Johnson County.

Skoog was first elected to the Overland Park City Council in 2005, and he has served as Mayor since 2021.

Skoog wants to create incentives for healthcare providers to practice in every part of the state, support biomedical innovation in mid-size and major cities, and preserve full-service hospitals and care in rural communities.

Skoog wants to support sustainable farming.

Skoog says he supports streamlining regulation, where it makes sense, so small businesses can start and grow.

Curt Skoog chose Jen Bacani McKenny as his running mate.

McKenny is a doctor in her hometown of Fredonia, a small town in Wilson County, located in southeast Kansas.

McKenny is the Wilson County Health Officer and the Fredonia City Health Officer, and she has served on the USD 484 School Board.

“Mayor Curt Skoog and Dr. Jen Bacani McKenney work every single day to help the people they serve,” accrording to their campaign website.

“At City Halls and the hospitals across Kansas, there’s no time for culture wars or political games – just a focus on what actually matters most. That’s how government should work and that’s exactly why Curt is running for Kansas Governor.”

Curt Skoog is a relative newcomer to the Kansas Governor’s race.

By comparison, both Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson have been campaigning for about a year.

Cindy Holscher launched her campaign in June 2025.

Ethan Corson launched his campaign in July 2025.

Curt Skoog launched his campaign on June 1, 2026, the filing deadline to run in the race.

Comparing the candidates

All else being equal, I believe candidates for important statewide positions, like governor or senator, should begin their campaigns early, rather than waiting until the last possible second.

For me, that’s pretty much a knockout blow against Curt Skoog.

If Skoog had a much stronger platform than any of the other Democratic candidates, I might be able to overlook his late entrance into the race.

But I don’t believe that to be the case.

Of the three candidates, I find Skoog’s platform to be the weakest.

All else being equal, when choosing a governor, I prefer a Democrat with experience in the legislature, to a mayor who hasn’t participated in politics at the state level.

That’s another blow against Skoog.

Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson are incredibly similar politicians.

I would be very happy if either of them won the primary, and overjoyed if either of them won the general election.

By my reckoning, Holscher has the better platform, and Corson has the better endorsements.

In particular, I appreciate Holscher’s support for raising the minimum wage to $16 an hour, providing free school lunches for all students, and creating an independent panel for redistricting.

I dislike that Ethan Corson accepted a campaign donation, during a previous election, from a private prison company.

I believe private prisons shouldn’t exist. They create a financial incentive to imprison more people, which can drive these companies to exert harmful political pressures on elected officials.

If Cindy Holscher were not running, I would happily vote for Ethan Corson in the primary.

I don’t consider a campaign contribution from a private prison company to be a large problem.

But when deciding between two similar candidates, small differences can be decisive.

Based on the strength of Holscher’s platform, and Corson’s previous acceptance of a campaign contribution from a private prison company, Cindy Holscher is my choice in the Democratic Primary.

So, let’s rank the three candidates.

Cindy Holscher is my top choice, followed by Ethan Corson, with Curt Skoog in last.

But I would happily vote for any of them in the general election, should they win the Democratic Primary.

As I said in my article about the Democrats running for Kansas Secretary of State, my endorsements are preliminary, and subject to change based on subsequent developments.

That being said, I don’t believe my endorsement in the Democratic Primary for Kansas Governor is likely to change.

Postscript: KCUR, a public radio station in Kansas City, interviewed Cindy Holscher, Ethan Corson, and Curt Skoog in front of a live audience at the Overland Park Farmers Market.

This is arguably the most NPR thing that has ever happened.

The candidates discussed their positions on data centers, property taxes, the Kansas budget, and marijuana.