Kansas

Kansas voters rejected an anti-abortion constitutional amendment 59% to 41% in August 2022, a landslide in a state Trump won by 15 points. That vote was the first abortion ballot test after Dobbs and set off a national wave. But the Republican supermajority legislature has spent four years overriding Governor Laura Kelly’s vetoes on crisis pregnancy centers and vouchers.

Kelly is term-limited. The 2026 race is one of five Democratic-held governorships up in Trump-won states, and the only one he won by double digits. The veto pen changes hands in January 2027.

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Reproductive rights

The 2022 abortion vote proved that even in a deep-red state, voters will protect abortion access when they get a direct say. Nearly 50% turnout (nearly double the 2018 primary) set a Kansas record.

The legislature has not stopped trying. In March 2026, it passed the CARE Act (HB 2635), which creates a regulatory shield for crisis pregnancy centers, preventing requirements to provide information about abortions, procedures, medication, or referrals.

Kelly vetoed the CARE Act on March 27, 2026. The legislature overrode her veto within hours: House 87-35, Senate 30-9. The budget also added language prohibiting KDHE from spending any funds to contract with entities that provide, assist, or refer for abortions.

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Public schools

The legislature overrode Kelly’s veto of HB 2468 to permanently opt Kansas into the federal school choice tax credit program. House 85-38, Senate 29-10. Senate Republicans also introduced SB 75 in 2025: an $8,000 tax credit per child in accredited private schools, $4,000 for homeschooled children, capped at $125 million in year one with 25% annual increases.

The existing school finance framework expires June 30, 2027. A task force is working on recommendations, with a final plan for the 2027 session. The next governor will sign or veto whatever framework the legislature proposes.

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Healthcare and benefits

Kelly proposed Medicaid expansion for the seventh time in 2025 through the Healthcare Access for Working Kansans (HAWK) Act, which would have covered roughly 150,000 Kansans and included work requirements. The bill did not receive a hearing.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins: “There’s no version that I would support.”

Kansas remains one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid. Proponents say expansion would create 23,000 new jobs and inject $1.2 billion in annual funding. The House Speaker called for $200 million in state budget cuts targeting Medicaid in August 2025.

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Governor vs. AG

Governor Kelly and AG Kris Kobach are in open conflict. Kobach sued Kelly in September 2025 to force the release of personal SNAP recipient data to the federal government. A Kansas judge dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the governor has no legal duty to hand over that data.

Kelly then sued Kobach in October 2025, accusing him of failing to defend Kansas against federal overreach on education, public health, and food security. The Kansas Supreme Court dismissed the case in March 2026, finding the dispute had not “ripened.” Both sides claimed victory.

This is not a personality conflict. It is a structural fight over whether Kansas’s attorney general will defend the state against federal overreach or help the federal government pressure it.

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2026 elections

Kelly is term-limited. The August 4 primary will narrow both fields. State Senator Ethan Corson (endorsed by Kelly) and State Senator Cindy Holscher are running on the Democratic side. The Republican field includes Senate President Ty Masterson, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, former Governor Jeff Colyer, and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt.

Race	Key question
Governor	Will the next governor veto voucher bills and defend Medicaid, or sign them?
AG	Will the AG defend Kansas against federal overreach or cooperate with it?
Legislature	Can Democrats break the supermajority that overrides every veto?

Every policy on this page depends on who holds the veto pen after January 2027.

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Protect yourself right now

1. Check your voter registration. The August 4 primary narrows both governor fields. Verify at ksvotes.org.

2. Ask governor candidates three questions. Will you veto voucher expansion? Will you push for Medicaid expansion? Will your AG defend Kansas against federal overreach or help it? Make them answer on the record.

3. Contact your state legislators about the school finance framework. It expires June 30, 2027. Ask what they plan to do. Find your legislator at kslegislature.org.

4. Know your SNAP rights. A judge ruled the governor does not have to hand over your SNAP data to the federal government. If you receive SNAP benefits, keep your contact information current with Kansas DCF.

5. Remember the 2022 vote. 59% of Kansas voters protected abortion access. The legislature has spent four years trying to work around that. The governor’s race decides whether they succeed.