Kansas 2024 Primary Election Recap
August 8, 2024
Kansans voted this Tuesday in the 2024 primary. In total, Kansas voters participated in four Congressional primaries and 41 contested Legislative primaries — 30 Republican and 11 Democratic. All 165 Legislative seats are up for election this year—40 in the Senate and 125 in the House. As it currently stands, Republicans hold supermajorities in both chambers: 29-11 in the Senate and 85-40 in the House.
The most competitive Congressional primary was in the Second District, which includes Topeka and stretches into southeast Kansas. Former three-time state attorney general and gubernatorial candidate Derek Schmidt won with 53% of the vote over four opponents. He’ll face former Congresswoman Nancy Boyda who beat Matt Kleinmann in the Democratic primary winning 52% of the vote. In the First District, Congressman Mann won his Republican primary against Eric Bloom with 88% of the vote and will face democratic candidate Paul Buskirk in the general. In the Third Congressional district Republican primary, Prasanth Reddy won with 53% of the vote over Karen Crnkovich and will face incumbent Congresswoman Sharice Davis. There was no primary in the Fourth District where Republican incumbent Congressman Ron Estes will face Esau Freeman in the general election.
In the 40-member Senate, there will be at least 12 newcomers by January. In the 125-member House, there will be at least 21 newcomers. Those numbers could increase, depending on November results, when Democrats hope to break GOP supermajorities in both chambers. Governor Kelly and Democrats have been clear that goal this fall is to end these supermajorities, which take flipping three Senate seats and two-House seats.
There were two big winners Tuesday night: Governor Laura Kelly and Senate President Ty Masterson. Governor Kelly’s Middle of the Road PAC got involved in three Democratic primaries and backed the winner in each. She endorsed Patrick Schmidt who beat sitting House Minority Leader Vic Miller in state Senate district 21, ending Miller’s nearly 50-year electoral career. She also endorsed incumbent Sen. Marci Francisco in her race against challenger Rep. Christina Haswood. Finally, the Governor endorsed Wanda Paige, who won with 49% of the vote, in her successful bid to oust incumbent Democrat Rep. Marvin Robinson in the 35th House district.
Senate President Masterson defeated his main antagonist in the Republican caucus with Sen. Dennis Pyle losing his reelection bid in the three-way primary, as well as the more moderate Rep. Eplee, to Craig Bowser, who Masterson endorsed. Bowser won with 41% of the vote. Masterson had long stripped Pyle of his committee assignments when Pyle switched parties to run independently for governor in 2022. Additionally, three other Republican primaries were won by candidates, who if they win their general election, will have a better working relationship with Masterson than their predecessors.
A few primary election statistical take aways:
· Eleven incumbents faced primary challengers where at least nine of the ten won.
· Seven races guaranteed replacements of current lawmakers with no incumbent or general election matchup.
· Three incumbents are on their way back to the Legislature with the primary race being the only election they face this season.
· Nine races involved challengers hoping to win the general election to fill the place of a retiring incumbents including two very close Manhattan-area races.
· Six primary races for challengers who will face incumbents in the general election.
With a late primary, there is not much of a break before the general election cycle begins ahead of the November 5 election. To view the full primary election results, click here.
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