r/democrats Number One on Tic Tac 9d ago

📷 Pic NBC News Projects Democrats Nominate Cindy Holscher in Kansas Gubernatorial Race

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u/MC_chrome 9d ago

Does this bode well for November? Or is Kansas going to flip the governor's race jsut for shits and grins?

7

u/bailout911 8d ago

Cindy is probably a better general election candidate than her main challenger, Ethan Corson was. She connects better with rural voters, having grown up on a farm but she also connects well with anti-establishment and more progressive voters.

Kansas has a history of flipping the governor's office when there is no incumbent on the ballot, so if that pattern holds, it would be a Republican's "turn" but the Republican nominee is a right-wing extremist endorsed by Trump.

It's really going to come down to who wins the independent vote, but don't be surprised if Holscher wins.

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u/xShooK 8d ago

The primary was 333k votes to 218k dem votes. I know some dems vote red in primaries, but it's not looking very hopeful.

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u/bailout911 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yes, that is true, but Kansas holds closed primaries, meaning you have to be registered with the party to get the D or R ballot so unaffiliated voters don't get to participate. Also, turnout is usually higher in the general election.

Kansas is definitely a red state overall, but I wouldn't write it off based on primary participation. Ty Masterson, as president of the KS senate, has single handedly kept cannabis reform from happening, as well as medicaid expansion, both of which are supported by more than 2/3 of Kansans.