2018 Kansas gubernatorial election

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2018 Kansas gubernatorial election

The 2018 Kansas gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 2018, to elect the next governor of Kansas.

Quick Facts Turnout, Nominee ...
2018 Kansas gubernatorial election

 2014 November 6, 2018 2022 
Turnout57.6%[1]
 
Nominee Laura Kelly Kris Kobach Greg Orman
Party Democratic Republican Independent
Running mate Lynn Rogers Wink Hartman John Doll
Popular vote 506,727 453,645 68,590
Percentage 48.01% 42.98% 6.50%

Kelly:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Kobach:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%      >90%
Tie:       No vote:      

Governor before election

Jeff Colyer
Republican

Elected Governor

Laura Kelly
Democratic

Close

On July 26, 2017, Governor Sam 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;[2][3] he resigned the governorship on January 31 and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer.[4] 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,[5] 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.[6][7][8] Colyer conceded the Republican nomination after the final votes were tallied, in which Kobach's margin grew slightly.[9] State Senator Laura Kelly easily won the Democratic nomination[10] 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.[11]

Owing to the fact that, aside from a two-term limit for incumbents, the Constitution of Kansas places no limitations of any kind on who may seek the office, several teenagers (including one who had never been to the state), filed to run for governor, drawing media attention.[12] A debate took place on September 5 between the three candidates that consistently polled above 5%.[13] Polls in late August had Kelly and Kobach running close with Orman polling in the single digits.[14]

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.[15]

Republican primary

Summarize
Perspective

Candidates

Nominated

Eliminated in primary

Withdrew

  • Wink Hartman, businessman and candidate for KS-04 in 2010[27] (ran for lieutenant governor).[28] Hartman joined Kris Kobach's campaign as his Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate.

Endorsements

Jeff Colyer
Local and statewide politicians

Organizations

Polling

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Jim
Barnett
Jeff
Colyer
Wink
Hartman
Kris
Kobach
Ken
Selzer
Other Undecided
Remington (R)[38] August 3–5, 2018 2,769 ± 2.0% 14% 34% 32% 9% 3%[39] 10%
The Trafalgar Group (R)[40] July 30 – August 2, 2018 1,546 ± 2.4% 11% 36% 43% 5% 4%[39]
Remington (R)[41] August 2, 2018 859 ± 3.3% 13% 32% 32% 9% 3%[39] 11%
JMC Analytics (R-Kobach)[42] July 24–26, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 11% 25% 34% 8% 2%[43] 20%
Remington (R)[44] May 14–15, 2018 1,441 ± 2.6% 9% 29% 27% 5% 30%
JMC Analytics (R-Kobach)[45] March 15–17, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 10% 18% 31% 4% 36%
Remington (R)[46] February 13–14, 2018 1,806 ± 2.3% 8% 23% 5% 21% 3% 3%[47] 37%
Moore Information (R)[48] February 11, 2018 20% 6% 26% 11% 38%
Close

Results

County results
  Kobach
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  Colyer
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   70–80%
  Kobach/Colyer tie
  •   40-50%
  Selzer
  •   30–40%
More information Party, Candidate ...
Republican primary results[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Kris Kobach 128,838 40.62
Republican Jeff Colyer (incumbent) 128,488 40.51
Republican Jim Barnett 27,993 8.83
Republican Ken Selzer 24,807 7.82
Republican Patrick Kucera 3,212 1.01
Republican Tyler Ruzich 2,276 0.72
Republican Joseph Tutera Jr. 1,559 0.49
Total votes 317,173 100.0
Close

Democratic primary

Summarize
Perspective

Candidates

Nominated

Eliminated in primary

  • Arden Andersen, physician[52]
    • Running mate: Dale Cowsert, businessman
  • Jack Bergeson, high school student[53]
    • Running mate: Alexander Cline, high school student[53]
  • Carl Brewer, former Mayor of Wichita[54]
    • Running mate: Chris Morrow, former mayor of Gardner[55]
  • Josh Svaty, former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture and former state representative[56]
    • Running mate: Katrina Gier Lewison, Manhattan-Ogden USD 383 Board of Education member, veteran

Withdrew

Declined

Endorsements

Josh Svaty

Statewide and local politicians

Polling

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Arden
Andersen
Jack
Bergeson
Carl
Brewer
Laura
Kelly
Josh
Svaty
Undecided
GBA Strategies (D-Kelly)[69] June 5–7, 2018 500 ± 4.4% 3% 2% 22% 35% 12% 25%
25% 44% 12% 20%
Close
More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Laura
Kelly
Josh
Svaty
Jim
Ward
Undecided
Expedition Strategies (D-Ward)[70] March 4–8, 2018 ± 4.4% 17% 7% 19% 57%
Moore Information (R)[48] February 11, 2018 39% 20% 42%
Close
Hypothetical polling

Results

Thumb
County results
  Kelly
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70-80%
  Brewer
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  Svaty
  •   30–40%
  •   40–50%
  •   50–60%
  •   60–70%
  •   70–80%
  •   80–90%
More information Party, Candidate ...
Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Laura Kelly 78,746 51.5
Democratic Carl Brewer 30,693 20.1
Democratic Josh Svaty 26,722 17.5
Democratic Arden Andersen 12,845 8.4
Democratic Jack Bergeson 3,850 2.5
Total votes 152,856 100.0
Close

Independent candidates

Candidates

On the ballot

Write-in

Failed to qualify

  • Ilan Cohen, high school student from Maryland[75]
  • Max Correa, college student from North Carolina [76]
  • Joe Larry Hunter, former inmate[77][78]
  • Andy Maskin, New York City Advertiser[79][80][81]
    • Running mate: Scott Goodwin, Connecticut Advertiser
  • Victor Redko, McGill University student[82]
  • Jared Rogers, University of Pennsylvania student[83]
  • Nicholas Schrieber, college student from Delaware[84]
    • Running mate: Matthew Ueckermann, college student from Maryland[84]
  • Conner Shelton, college student from Pennsylvania[85]

Libertarian convention

Candidates

Nominated

  • Jeff Caldwell, executive committee member for the Libertarian Party of Kansas[86]
    • Running mate: Mary Gerlt

Withdrew

General election

Summarize
Perspective

Predictions

More information Source, Ranking ...
Source Ranking As of
The Cook Political Report[89] Tossup October 26, 2018
The Washington Post[90] Tossup November 5, 2018
FiveThirtyEight[91] Tossup November 5, 2018
Rothenberg Political Report[92] Tossup November 1, 2018
Sabato's Crystal Ball[93] Lean D (flip) November 5, 2018
RealClearPolitics[94] Tossup November 4, 2018
Daily Kos[95] Tossup November 5, 2018
Fox News[96][a] Tossup November 5, 2018
Politico[97] Tossup November 5, 2018
Governing[98] Tossup November 5, 2018
Close
Notes
  1. The Fox News Midterm Power Rankings uniquely does not contain a category for Safe/Solid races

Debates

More information Dates, Location ...
Dates Location Kelly Kobach Orman Link
September 6, 2018 Overland Park, Kansas Participant Participant Participant Full debate - YouTube
October 30, 2018 Wichita, Kansas Participant Participant Participant Full debate - C-SPAN
Close

Endorsements

Laura Kelly (D)

Federal politicians

Statewide and local politicians

Labor unions

Organizations

Newspapers and news websites

Kris Kobach (R)

U.S. Executive Branch officials

U.S. senators

U.S. representatives

Statewide and local politicians

Individuals

Organizations

Greg Orman (I)
Organizations

Polling

More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Kris
Kobach
(R)
Laura
Kelly
(D)
Greg
Orman
(I)
Jeff
Caldwell
(L)
Other Undecided
Emerson College[148] October 26–28, 2018 976 ± 3.3% 44% 43% 8% 1% 4%
Ipsos[149] October 17–27, 2018 986 ± 3.6% 41% 43% 9% 2% 5%
Public Policy Polling (D-Western States Strategies)[150] October 19–20, 2018 698 ± 3.7% 41% 41% 10% 2% 0%[151] 6%
Remington (R)[152] September 30 – October 1, 2018 1,680 ± 2.4% 41% 42% 10% 2% 1%[153] 4%
Emerson College[154] September 26–28, 2018 938 ± 3.5% 37% 36% 9% 3% 15%
Fort Hays State University[155] August 22 – September 25, 2018 324 36% 40% 10% 5%
Civiqs (D-Crawford County Dems)[156] September 21–24, 2018 1,178 ± 3.4% 39% 41% 9% 5% 0%[151] 5%
Public Policy Polling (D-Pottawatomie County Dems)[157] September 12–13, 2018 618 39% 38% 9% 1% 2%[158] 12%
Public Policy Polling (D-KNEA PAC)[159] August 24–26, 2018 877 39% 38% 9% 1% 2%[158] 11%
Remington (R)[160] July 19–20, 2018 1,189 ± 2.9% 35% 36% 12% 17%
Close
More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Kris
Kobach (R)
Laura
Kelly (D)
Undecided
Triton Polling & Research (I-Grow Kansas Action Fund)[161] October 2018 785 ± 3.1% 49% 47%
Public Policy Polling (D-Western States Strategies)[150] October 17–21, 2018 698 ± 3.7% 44% 48% 8%
Public Policy Polling[162] September 12–13, 2018 618 47% 46% 8%
Triton Polling & Research (I-Grow Kansas Action Fund)[163] August 2018 46% 46% 8%
Close
More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Kris
Kobach (R)
Greg
Orman (I)
Undecided
Triton Polling & Research (I-Grow Kansas Action Fund)[161] October 2018 785 ± 3.1% 43% 49%
Triton Polling & Research (I-Grow Kansas Action Fund)[163] August 2018 40% 53% 8%
Close
More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Jeff
Colyer (R)
Laura
Kelly (D)
Greg
Orman (I)
Undecided
Remington (R)[160] July 19–20, 2018 1,189 ± 2.9% 38% 28% 10% 24%
Close
More information Poll source, Date(s) administered ...
Poll source Date(s)
administered
Sample
size
Margin
of error
Generic
Republican
Generic
Democrat
Generic
Independent
Undecided
Remington (R)[160] July 19–20, 2018 1,189 ± 2.9% 47% 35% 8% 10%
Close
Hypothetical polling

with Kris Kobach and Laura Kelly

with Kris Kobach and Greg Orman

with Jeff Colyer

with generic Republican, Democrat, and Independent

Results

Thumb
Thumb
More information Party, Candidate ...
Kansas gubernatorial election, 2018[164]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Laura Kelly 506,727 48.01% +1.88%
Republican Kris Kobach 453,645 42.98% −6.84%
Independent Greg Orman 68,590 6.50% N/A
Libertarian Jeff Caldwell 20,020 1.90% −2.15%
Independent Rick Kloos 6,584 0.62% N/A
Total votes 1,055,566 100.00% N/A
Democratic gain from Republican
Close

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

By congressional district

Kelly won two of four congressional districts, including one that was carried by a Republican in the concurrent congressional elections.[165]

More information District, Kelly ...
District Kelly Kobach Orman Representative
1st 37% 51% 9% Roger Marshall
2nd 51% 41% 5% Lynn Jenkins (115th Congress)
Steve Watkins (116th Congress)
3rd 56% 37% 5% Kevin Yoder (115th Congress)
Sharice Davids (116th Congress)
4th 44.7% 45.4% 8% Ron Estes
Close

Maps

References

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