Kansas held its general election on November 6, 2018, deciding 125 legislative seats and 6 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control. The Senate was not up for regular election this cycle.
Highlights
- Democrats took back the governor's office, and with it Republicans lost unified control of Kansas government for the first time since 2011. In the House, Democratic and Republican gains offset each other, leaving the partisan balance unchanged.
- Laura Kelly (D), a Topeka state senator who ran as a moderate, defeated Kris Kobach (R) by about 5 points. Kobach, the secretary of state, had forged a kinship with President Donald Trump through his immigration and voter-fraud crusades, and Kelly's campaign tied him to former Gov. Sam Brownback's tax cuts and the service cuts that followed. Independent Greg Orman (I) drew about 6.5% and did not change the outcome. Kelly's win revived the prospect of Medicaid expansion, which the Legislature had passed in 2017 only to see Brownback veto it.
- The 10 House seats that changed hands split evenly, most by a few hundred votes or fewer. All 7 incumbents who lost were in these races:
- Democratic pickups: Rui Xu (D) unseated Rep. Melissa Rooker (R) in House District 25 by 121 votes, with no recount, and became the first Chinese American to serve in the House; Susan Ruiz (D) beat Rep. Linda Gallagher (R) in District 23; and Democrats won open seats in District 48 (David Benson (D), by about 80 votes), District 30 (Brandon Woodard (D)), and District 45 (Mike Amyx (D)).
- Republican pickups, all over Democratic incumbents: Barb Wasinger (R) over Eber Phelps (D) in District 111 by 35 votes; David French (R) over Debbie Deere (D) in District 40 and Ken Collins (R) over Adam J. Lusker Sr. (D) in District 2, each by about 70; Cheryl Helmer (R) over Ed Trimmer (D) in District 79 by about 110; and Ron Howard (R) over Steven G. Crum (D) in District 98 by 130.
- The balance shifted after the election instead. In December, Rep. Stephanie Clayton (R), re-elected in House District 19 as a Republican, switched to the Democratic Party along with two moderate GOP state senators.
- Kelly's running mate, Lynn Rogers (D), became lieutenant governor, but Republicans kept every other statewide office. Scott Schwab (R) won the open secretary of state's office Kobach left behind by about 9 points over Brian McClendon (D), Vicki Schmidt (R) won the open insurance commissioner's seat comfortably, and Attorney General Derek Schmidt (R) and Treasurer Jake LaTurner (R) kept their offices by double digits.
- Counting the governor and lieutenant governor, 12 seats changed party in all. Beyond the flips, 2 more House races finished inside two points: Rep. Tim Hodge (D) held House District 72 by fewer than 90 votes, and Charlotte Esau (R) kept House District 14 Republican by fewer than 200. In 60 districts, only one candidate appeared on the ballot.
Legislature
- House (125 seats): 40 D, 85 R before the election, 41 D, 83 R, 1 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
- Senate (40 seats): 9 D, 29 R, 2 other or vacant before the election, 9 D, 29 R, 2 other or vacant after; control stayed with Republicans.
Statewide races
| Race | Winner | Others | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Laura Kelly (D) 47.98% | Kris Kobach (R) 42.92%, Greg Orman (I) 6.49% | Flipped R to D |
| Attorney General | Derek Schmidt (R) 59% | Sarah Swain (D) 41% | |
| Insurance Commissioner | Vicki Schmidt (R) 62.9% | Nathaniel McLaughlin (D) 37.1% | |
| Lt. Governor | Lynn Rogers (D) 47.98% | Wink Hartman (R) 42.92%, John Doll (I) 6.49% | Flipped R to D |
| Secretary of State | Scott Schwab (R) 52.6% | Brian McClendon (D) 43.9%, Rob Hodgkinson (L) 3.5% | |
| Treasurer | Jake LaTurner (R) 57.7% | Marci Francisco (D) 42.3% |