Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson has entered the 2026 race for governor as the Republican primary field gets more crowded. Republicans are keen to recapture the governor’s office in GOP-leaning Kansas after Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly narrowly won a second four-year term in 2022. Kelly is term-limited and cannot run again. Masterson, a small-business owner, announced his candidacy Sunday. He became Senate president in 2021. Other Republicans in the 2026 governor’s race include Secretary of State Scott Schwab, who built his public profile pushing back against unfounded election conspiracy theories, and former Gov. Jeff Colyer.
