Recent polls have Republican Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson holding an advantage in the race for governor as fellow Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher hits the road hoping more traditional in-person campaigning can put her on the minds of more voters.
Holscher is traveling across the state trying to raise her profile with voters, while Masterson is seeking to protect his lead while visiting county GOP headquarters and businesses throughout Kansas.
She recently brought her campaign to Emporia, where she spoke with educators about the challenges facing Kansas schools.
Polling suggests Holscher has less name recognition than Masterson, while the Republican is also viewed as more polarizing with voters.
A New York Times/Siena College poll released this month showed Masterson leading Holscher outside the poll’s margin of error.
Holscher said she believes the race is much closer than the polling indicates.
“This race is neck and neck,” she said. “I’m working to make sure I’m getting my messaging out there.”
The Emerson College/Nexstar Media poll released in September also showed Masterson with a lead. The same day that poll was released, Masterson’s campaign said he did not plan to participate in additional formal debates.
For a candidate leading in the polls, avoiding additional debates can limit the opportunity for an opponent to change the direction of the race.
Masterson is taking part in some other types of events, like a meet and greet where both candidates will appear in Baxter Springs.
Instead of relying on another televised debate, Holscher said she is taking her campaign directly to voters.
Money differences
Money has been a difference in this year’s race for governor.
Laura Kelly outspent Republican gubernatorial candidate Derek Schmidt four years ago.
The most recent campaign finance reports show that the Democrat is at a significant disadvantage, with Masterson having about $360,000 more in his war chest than Holscher.
Money isn’t everything in politics, as Democratic Kansas U.S. senate candidate Adam Hamilton can attest. The last quarterly election finance report shows that Hamilton is being outspent three-to-one by incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, but Hamilton is still within the margin of error.
