Red state Senate president joins field of Republicans hoping to wrest governorship from Democratic control
Masterson describes himself as "a results-oriented conservative laborer and businessman."
While Kansas has gone red in every presidential election for more than 50 years, the state currently has a Democratic governor.
Gov. Laura Kelly has held the post since early 2019, but is not eligible to run again in 2026 because she's currently serving her second consecutive term.
"No person may be elected to more than two successive terms as governor …" the state constitution stipulates.
Masterson's move to jump into the running adds another candidate to the Kansas GOP gubernatorial field that also includes former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt.
Colyer, a former Kansas lieutenant governor, ascended to the governorship in 2018 because then-Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, departed the role to serve as U.S. ambassador at large for international religious freedom.
While serving in the governorship in 2018, Colyer ran for governor, but was just barely edged out in the GOP primary by then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who went on to lose the general election later that year to Kelly.
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