Kansas Democratic Senate nominee?
$48.3K
AUG 5, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleGovernor
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age76 years old (Jan 24, 1950)
GenderFemale
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LocationKansas
BackgroundPolitician
EducationBradley University (BS)
Notable personal detailsLaura Jeanne Kelly is an American politician who has served as the 48th governor of Kansas since January 14, 2019, and began her second term on January 9, 2023. She previously represented the 18th district in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2019 and served in Senate Democratic leadership roles. Before elected office, she worked as a recreation therapist and later led the Kansas Recreation and Park Association as executive director.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
The candidate supports targeted tax relief for low- and middle-income Kansans (eliminating the state grocery sales tax, exempting Social Security income, increasing the standard deduction and child tax credits) while opposing large, broad income-tax cuts that she says would jeopardize the state’s long-term fiscal stability; she pairs those tax priorities with support for expanded Medicaid and other budgetary spending priorities.
Healthcare
Supports expanding Medicaid (KanCare) to cover roughly 150,000 more Kansans and has repeatedly proposed legislation to enact Medicaid expansion; has framed expansion as a way to protect rural hospitals, reduce costs, and increase coverage. Also supports medical-marijuana measures as a health tool for patients with chronic conditions and severe epilepsy.
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Immigration & Border
The governor supports a secure border and deportation of people who commit crimes while also calling for comprehensive federal immigration reform and welcoming refugee resettlement; she has rejected large-scale deployments of the Kansas National Guard to the southern border and has signed a state law banning local 'sanctuary' ordinances. Her record includes actions that both restrict local sanctuary policies and statements urging humanitarian/legal pathways and congressional reform.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Laura Kelly supports abortion access and has repeatedly vetoed bills that would impose new restrictions or reporting requirements on abortion or that she described as interfering in private medical decisions. She frames abortion decisions as matters for patients and licensed medical professionals rather than the legislature and has opposed measures that would expand reporting, criminal penalties, or divert public funds to anti‑abortion crisis centers.
Climate & Energy
Supports expanding renewable energy (particularly wind) and promoting clean energy jobs and conferences in Kansas while endorsing an all-inclusive energy portfolio that includes renewables plus transitional technologies like natural gas and carbon capture. Has issued proclamations and state actions to recognize clean energy initiatives and to promote weatherization and energy efficiency programs.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports the Second Amendment while backing “common-sense” gun safety measures including universal background checks, bans on bump stocks, and limits on certain assault-style weapons; has voted to keep guns out of hospitals, mental health centers and college campuses and supported prohibiting gun possession by people convicted of domestic violence. She has vetoed some legislature-driven school firearm-education mandates on grounds of local control and has expressed caution about narrowly tailored procurement for school gun-detection technology.
News
Laura Kelly is facing several major bills passed by Kansas lawmakers that now await her decision, including a property tax measure and a voter ID bill. The voter ID legislation could be vetoed, while the property tax bill would let residents challenge local tax increases above 3% inflation. She is also being tied to ongoing fallout over Kansas’ anti-transgender law, which Republicans recently overrode her veto to enact.
Kansas senator was removed from committee to advance voter ID bill
Kansas GOP Overrides Dem Governor's Veto on Bathroom Bill
Anti-transgender law in Kansas challenged in court by ACLU
Overriding veto, Kansas GOP lawmakers enact anti-trans bathroom bill
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising