Kansas Democrats scramble to replace Gov. Kelly | Opinion
In the history of Kansas, the Democratic Party has never been able to win a gubernatorial election after a Democratic governor has retired or been forced to retire by term-limits.
They hope that 2026 will be the year that they break that drought.
But first, they have to choose their candidate, and this year's primary is totally up for grabs as the three major candidates - Ethan Corson, Cindy Holscher and Curt Skoog - seek to fill the political vacuum left by the departure of popular two-term governor Laura Kelly.
Unlike the Republican candidates, the Democrats have held no TV debates but like the Republicans, there has been some drama within the party.
The first involved Kelly making an endorsement, choosing Corson, a state senator from Johnson County, over Holscher, also a state senator from Johnson County. Corson also received the endorsement of Kansas political legend and former governor Kathleen Sebelius.
Holscher, on the other hand, has been endorsed by former governor John Carlin and - interestingly - Kelly's former Lt. Gov. Lynn Rogers.
In response to Kelly's endorsement, Holscher argued that while some Republicans might withdraw in the face of an endorsement - Republican Jeff Colyer left the race after Ty Masterson received Donald Trump's endorsement - "Democrats think differently," and that "They don't like the establishment weighing in on elections."
Maybe. But the Kelly and Sebelius endorsements not only bring attention but also potentially long lists of donors and supporters to Corson.
More drama ensued when a surprise last-minute candidate emerged on filing day: Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog. Skoog - who grew up as a Republican and has only been a Democrat since 2022 - says he decided to run because basically Corson and Holscher weren't exciting anyone: "We had two candidates in the race and neither one was getting traction."
To say the governor wasn't happy puts it mildly. She called his candidacy "thrown-together, "last minute" and "opportunistic." Oh, and "foolhardy."
We now have at least one independent poll out on the race (commissioned by the nonprofit civic group Civic Clarity) that shows Holscher with 37%, Corson 10% and Skoog 7% of Democratic primary voters, with 44% undecided.
Holscher should be pleased and Corson and Skoog concerned - maybe a trifle panicked? - but they can take solace in the large number of undecideds, which actually jumps to 55% when "leaners" are included.
With that many unformed opinions, it means that the advertising blitzes - on TV and social media - may well decide this race. And while many people say they don't like negative advertising, believe me, it works. So it also means that some of those ads are going to have to be attack ads.
All three candidates have articulated a narrative: Corson is the Kelly-endorsed candidate who will bring "commonsense bipartisan leadership," Holscher is "anti-establishment" and Skoog argues we need "a mayor in the governor's office."
The key will be how effectively they communicate these narratives and with what frequency. Frequency translates as money, so fundraising will be vital.
Holscher has the lead now, but Corson is now running the first TV ad in the race.
In the ad, the former college baseball pitcher talks while holding a baseball in a four-seam fastball grip, which when thrown looks to hitters like it's rising as it crosses the plate, a perfect metaphor for what Corson will need to do in the coming weeks.
Bob Beatty is a political science professor in Topeka.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas Democrats scramble to replace Gov. Kelly | Opinion
Reporting by Bob Beatty, Special to The Capital-Journal / Topeka Capital-Journal
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This story was originally published June 27, 2026 at 4:04 AM.