At election eve rally, Cindy Holscher drives message of economic and healthcare renewal for Kansas

LENEXA — Democratic gubernatorial nominee Cindy Holscher stood united with Gov. Laura Kelly on the eve of Tuesday’s election to deliver closing arguments on economic, healthcare and education issues in the tense campaign against Republican Ty Masterson.

Holscher, an Overland Park state senator who repeatedly won election in red-leaning districts, packed supporters into a renovated timber barn for a get-out-the-vote rally with Kelly, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

“Together, we are going to build a Kansas where hard work pays off, where our schools are strong and where every family gets a fair shot,” Holscher said. “I’m going to lower property taxes and bring down the cost of living. I’m gonna protect our seniors, stand up for our farmers, because they’re the backbone of this state.”

On Monday, the latest New York Times poll gave Holscher a 1 percentage point edge on Masterson with little more than 24 hours before polls closed.

Holscher, who once walked from Johnson County to Topeka to bring attention to lack of public school funding, vowed to deliver collaborative state government to Kansans finding it harder to make ends meet as the rising cost of food, fuel and other essentials outpaced stagnant incomes. She touted policies with bipartisan appeal in Kansas, including Medicaid expansion, full funding of K-12 special education, abortion rights and legalization of marijuana.

Holscher took a dig at President Donald Trump’s series of endorsements for Masterson, including a full-throated version Sunday night for several thousand people at a MAGA rally in Salina. She has criticized the Republican president’s war with Iran, which is blamed for the spike in fuel prices at the pump. The state senator has denounced global tariffs advanced by Trump that undercut the bottom line for ranchers and farmers.

She reminded the crowd that she was part of the legislative coalition that voted in 2017 to repeal state income tax cuts championed by GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who recently endorsed Masterson. The resulting steep decline in tax revenue, without equivalent reductions in spending, starved state programs for five years. Holscher said voters should keep in mind that Masterson, the Andover Republican serving as Kansas Senate president, continued to defend Brownback’s tax initiative and the budget-cratering consequences.

Voter registration in Kansas tips election scales in favor of Republican candidates. The state has 900,000 Republicans, 580,000 independents and 520,000 Democrats. That registration deficit for Democrats didn’t prevent Kelly from winning back-to-back terms as governor in 2018 and 2022.

Kelly said the quality of Democratic candidates up and down the ballot resonated with Kansas voters. Kelly said she was confident Holscher had the momentum to challenge Masterson and to follow her in the governor’s office.

“I want somebody who cares about Kansas,” Kelly said. “I want somebody who will protect our schools. I want somebody who understands and will work for and always pay attention to our rural communities. I want somebody who’s not a wholly owned subsidiary.”

In the August primary, Kelly endorsed state Sen. Ethan Corson of Johnson County, but switched her allegiance to Holscher after votes were counted.

Beshear, who chairs the national Democratic Governors Association, said he was optimist Democrats would perform well in dozens of governor races.

“I think Laura and I are living, breathing proof that Democrats can win anywhere,” Beshear said. “I’m so proud of the race Cindy has run. She is scrappy in all the right ways. She has pushed through. She has done the tough things. She has knocked on doors. She has worked her tail off.”

Masterson’s end-of-campaign rally was scheduled for later Monday evening several miles away in Johnson County.

During a Sunday appearance with President Donald Trump in Salina, Masterson said he was reminded of a comment by President Ronald Reagan about how freedom was potentially one generation away from extinction.

“I don’t think it’s ever been more relevant than it is today,” Masterson said. “It has blown my mind the stark directional change that we’re considering in this election.”

Masterson urged rally participants to work until the poll closed Tuesday to get out the conservative vote.

“I need you to get out. It is that important,” he said. “This isn’t about an individual candidate. It is about the direction of this country and this state. So, you got a personal issue with any one of us? Anybody that’s running? Look past it. Because it is directional.”

He said organizations with conservative-sounding names were working to persuade Kansas voters to embrace Libertarian Party candidates.

“Don’t let anybody buy that, all because you might have some disillusionment with the Republican Party,” he said. “Don’t go off and waste your vote and vote for some third-party person. It is a vote for socialism as much as it is a vote for that Democratic candidate.”

He said Trump was successful in tightening border security and reducing federal taxes. Eventually, he said, the price of fuel at the pump would decline. He said high gasoline and diesel prices shouldn’t be blamed on Trump’s war with Iran. The culprit was climate-change activists responsible for inhibiting construction of refineries.

“That’s what causing you so much pain at the pump,” Masterson said. “Not the Iran war. That is a glitch in time. It will be solved. If you want affordability back, you don’t have a choice but to vote Republican. Because that is the only way to go.”