Democrats in Kansas governor’s race debate Gov. Laura Kelly’s role in primary campaign

TOPEKA — Democratic gubernatorial candidates Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson tangled during a Friday debate about rival interpretations of conversations with the office of Gov. Laura Kelly about who should run to replace the popular two-term governor.

Kelly met privately with a cluster of prospective Democratic candidates in 2025, a list that included Johnson County state Sens. Holscher and Corson. Kansas Reflector reported in August 2025 that Holscher had expressed concern through texts sent to the governor’s office that Kelly might wade into the primary in a way designed to damage Holscher’s prospects.

Fox 4 Kansas City anchor John Holt, who moderated the televised debate ahead of Tuesday’s primary election, asked both candidates about a recent Kansas City Star report in which Kelly’s chief of staff, Will Lawrence, alleged one of Holscher’s texts to the governor’s office could be viewed as “blackmail.”

The Star reported Lawrence was convinced that Holscher threatened to disclose the governor’s then-unreported divorce if Kelly put her finger on the scale in the Democratic primary.

“That’s an absolutely ridiculous accusation,” Holscher said in response to Holt’s question. “It’s a last-minute attempt by insiders, the establishment, to try to prop up their candidate. I’m not tied to the establishment. I’m tied to the working people. I’m everything that often this party says what it wants, somebody who rose up out of poverty, a female, someone who fights for working families, from a military family and a union family. But, at times, the establishment just doesn’t want to embrace someone like that.”

Holscher said texts she sent to the governor’s office were about the governor’s potential involvement in the Democratic primary and inspired by her frustration with a political environment in Topeka layered with “bullying and coercion.”

In June 2025, Kelly publicly endorsed Corson. Kansas Reflector published a story in July 2025 in which Kelly confirmed her divorce from retired physician Ted Daughety had been finalized in October 2024.

Holscher claimed Kelly requested that she, Corson and Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes stay out of the Democratic gubernatorial race so the governor’s preferred candidate, Lawrence attorney Chris Mann, could run. Mann chose to seek the Democratic nomination for attorney general instead.

Holt asked Corson why he declined to respond to Holscher’s request that Corson disavow the attack by the governor’s chief of staff.

“We didn’t comment on that because that story had nothing to do with my campaign,” Corson said. “I’m really focused on addressing the issues that Kansans want to hear from all of us about healthcare, education, jobs, affordability. I put together really detailed plans for how to address all of those. And I, frankly, think that hearing from us on those issues is what the voters want and what the voters deserve.”

Holt sought clarification from Corson about Holscher’s claim the governor pressured Senate Democrats to clear a path for Mann.

“I think Governor Kelly has been clear from day one that she believes I’m the only Democrat who can win in November, that she believes that I’m the only Democrat who can put together the coalition that we need of Democrats, unaffiliated voters and moderate Republicans to hold this governor’s office,” Corson said.

In response to a question about Democratic Party unity, both Holscher and Corson said they would endorse the primary winner.

Holt asked Curt Skoog, the Overland Park mayor who entered the Democratic race for governor in June, if Kelly discouraged him from running for governor.

“The governor made it clear to me that she was supporting Ethan Corson,” Skoog said.

Skoog said he decided to run for governor because Holscher’s positions on issues made her unelectable in the November general election. Skoog said Corson failed to connect with Kansas voters despite funding for campaign ads and endorsements from Kelly, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and a collage of labor organizations.

“I am connecting with Kansans,” Skoog said. “I am the one who can win independent and moderate Republicans, and win at the end of the day.”

When Skoog launched his candidacy, Kelly issued a statement describing Skoog’s bid as a “thrown-together, last-minute, opportunistic attempt” to win the Democratic nomination.