Primary elections on Tuesday in Kansas will center on the race for the open governor’s mansion, a judicial ballot measure with consequences for abortion and L.G.B.T.Q. rights, and high-profile intraparty battles for both the U.S. House and Senate.
Here’s what to watch:
The Republican primary for governor will test the strength of President Trump’s endorsement.
In Kansas, all eyes are on the primaries for the marquee governor’s race, which Republicans see as perhaps their best chance this year to flip a governorship held by Democrats.
President Trump has endorsed Ty Masterson, the president of the State Senate. But Philip Sarnecki, a businessman, and Scott Schwab, the Kansas secretary of state, are also looking to win over conservative primary voters, and Vicki Schmidt, the state insurance commissioner, has staked out a moderate lane.
Democratic primary voters have a choice of three experienced politicians, all from suburban Kansas City. State Senator Ethan Corson was endorsed by Gov. Laura Kelly, a moderate Democrat who was barred by term limits from running again. Mr. Corson faces State Senator Cindy Holscher, who called for a moratorium on data centers, and Mayor Curt Skoog of Overland Park.
A ballot measure could have major repercussions for abortion access and L.G.B.T.Q. rights.
Kansas primary voters will also weigh in on a ballot measure that would overhaul the way State Supreme Court justices are selected. Anti-abortion groups and other socially conservative organizations are supporting the measure.
If it succeeds, the seven justices would be elected, rather than being appointed by the governor and standing periodically for retention votes. (All but one of the justices on the court were appointed by a Democratic governor.)
The measure is, in part, a response to a 2019 Kansas Supreme Court decision that recognized a right to abortion, which voters in the state declined to overturn in 2022.
Kansas Democrats are looking to end a nearly 100-year U.S. Senate drought.
In Kansas, 11 Democrats are vying for the nomination to challenge Senator Roger Marshall, the Republican incumbent, who is expected to win his two-way G.O.P. primary and has stockpiled more than $5.3 million for the general election.
Recent polls and fund-raising numbers have so far indicated that Adam Hamilton, a well-known pastor who has positioned himself as a moderate, is leading the Democratic primary field.
Whoever wins the primary will face a steep uphill battle. Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932, giving the state the nation’s longest streak of electing Republican senators. Mr. Trump won the state by more than 16 percentage points against Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024.
A Democratic incumbent faces a progressive challenger in the state’s only blue House district.
Representative Sharice Davids, a fourth-term member of Congress who holds Kansas’ lone Democratic seat, is facing a primary challenge from Sarah Preu, a progressive technology industry professional. Ms. Preu has said she would vote to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement, “end forever wars” and stop sending U.S. arms to Israel.
On the Republican side, Chase LaPorte, an Army veteran and business administrator, is the only candidate who has reported raising money.
Ms. Davids, who was one of the first two Native American women to win election to Congress in history, won by more than 10 points in 2024. The seat will be considered competitive in November, but Democrats would be facing far longer odds there if the State Legislature had gone forward with a redistricting plan pushed by Mr. Trump.
