Kansas Republican Governor nominee?
Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleState Senator
PartyRepublican
Political ideologyConservative Republican
Age56 years old (Sep 23, 1969)
LocationKansas
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BackgroundPolitician
Notable personal detailsTy Masterson is a Republican Kansas state senator (District 16) and President of the Kansas Senate. He previously served in the Kansas House of Representatives (2005–2008) and has served on local government in Andover. He launched a campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor of Kansas in the 2026 election cycle.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports significant tax cuts and structural tax reform including a single-rate/flat income tax, reductions to property and sales taxes, elimination of state taxes on Social Security and other retirement income, and policies to simplify the tax code to promote economic growth and lower the overall tax burden in Kansas.
Healthcare
Opposes Medicaid expansion and supports market-based health reforms focused on consumer choice, competition, health savings accounts, and reducing government mandates while preserving a safety net.
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Immigration & Border
Supports deploying Kansas National Guard to assist Texas at the southern border, has described unauthorized migration as an "invasion," and expressed strong support for strict border security measures and deportation of immigrants lacking permanent legal status. Advocates aligning state actions with federal/Republican border-security priorities and has backed funding and legislation to strengthen border enforcement.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Ty Masterson has supported legislative measures that restrict access to abortion (including prohibiting telemedicine prescriptions for abortion medications) and has promoted policies to reduce abortions through funding for crisis pregnancy centers and preservation of what he called "common-sense" abortion measures. His record as Kansas Senate President shows votes in favor of bills limiting abortion-related services and rhetoric endorsing restrictions while framing some exceptions for maternal health in legislation.
Climate & Energy
Supports an "all-of-the-above" energy approach prioritizing gas, coal, and nuclear to ensure reliable, affordable power and criticizes shifting toward renewable "green" energy policies; has opposed aggressive renewable mandates and framed renewable-focused policies as risking reliability and higher utility costs. Positions emphasize energy independence and market/reliability concerns over rapid fossil-fuel phase-out or Green New Deal–style measures.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports the Second Amendment and gun-owner training, has opposed several proposed gun restrictions (including a bump-stock ban) and has backed policies recognizing out-of-state concealed-carry permits while calling for funding for law enforcement and school security.
News
Ty Masterson is being mentioned in coverage of worsening civility in the Kansas Legislature, where lawmakers from both parties say debate has become more combative and procedural fights more common. He is also tied to the recent override of Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a campus free-speech law named for Charlie Kirk, which allows lawsuits over alleged free-speech violations and bans designated free-speech zones. The reports do not point to a single major new move by Masterson himself, but they place him at the center of current legislative conflict in Kansas.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising





