Kansas 2010 Election Results

Kansas held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 127 legislative seats and 6 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• Republicans won the open governorship and every other statewide office, shutting Democrats out statewide for the first time since 1964 and taking full control of state government. House Republicans also grew their majority past two-thirds.
• U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback (R) won the governorship Gov. Mark Parkinson (D) left open, beating state Sen. Tom Holland (D) by about 31 points. Brownback campaigned on freezing government spending and repealing regulations; Holland estimated he was outspent nearly 4 to 1. Brownback's running mate, Jeff Colyer (R), became lieutenant governor.
• Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger (R) ran unopposed for a third term, and Republicans unseated three Democratic incumbents:
  • Kris Kobach (R) beat Secretary of State Chris Biggs (D) by about 22 points.
  • Ron Estes (R) beat Treasurer Dennis McKinney (D) by about 17 points.
  • Derek Schmidt (R) beat Attorney General Stephen Six (D) by about 13 points.
• In the House, the only chamber with regular elections this year, Republicans turned a 76-49 majority into 92-33. All 16 seats that changed hands went from Democrats to Republicans, most of them by unseating sitting Democrats. The closest flip came in House District 22, where Greg A. Smith (R) unseated Rep. Lisa Benlon (D) by about 110 votes. Two Democrats held on by fewer than 100: Melanie Meier (D) in House District 40 by 45 votes and Doug Gatewood (D) in House District 1 by 79. Rep. Michael O'Neal (R) was re-elected Speaker by unanimous ballot in January.
• Voters approved both constitutional amendments. Question 1, which constitutionally preserves a person's right to keep and bear arms, passed overwhelmingly. Question 2, which removes the Legislature's authority to bar people with mental illness from voting, passed by about 25 points.

Legislature

• House (125 seats): 49 D, 76 R before the election, 33 D, 92 R after; control stayed with Republicans.
• Senate (40 seats): 9 D, 31 R before the election, 8 D, 32 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures