Cindy Holscher wins in Kansas, holding governor's office for Democrats

Holscher, a state senator, overcame a more well-known Republican who had Trump's endorsement in the state that has gone to the GOP in most other statewide races.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/4500x3000+0+0/resize/4500x3000!/quality/85/format/webp/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2F54%2F5f034a3f48afb04565b5438e329b%2Fmdt-holscher.jpg' alt='Kansas Democratic gubernatorial candidate, State Sen. Cindy Holscher speaks to reporters after casting her ballot during early voting at a polling location on October 31, 2026 in Kansas City, Kansas.'/><p>Holscher, a state senator, overcame a more well-known Republican who had Trump's endorsement in the state that has gone to the GOP in most other statewide races.</p><p>(Image credit: Jim Vondruska)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=g-s1-151239' />