Kansas
Governor
Governor Laura Kelly (D) is term limited and cannot run for a third consecutive term as governor in 2026. Amid a crowded seven-candidate field, State Senate President Ty Masterson – Trump-endorsee and the clear favorite leading up to the primary – secured the Republican Party’s nomination with approximately 43% of the vote. Masterson has represented Kansas' 16th Senate District since 2009 and has served as president of the Kansas Senate since 2021. His campaign is centered on a conservative, "America First" agenda focused on reducing taxes, public safety, education reform, and limiting government.
On the Democratic side, state senators Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher were the frontrunners leading up to Tuesday’s primary. Holscher secured the party’s nomination with approximately 48% of the vote. She currently represents Kansas' 8th Senate District which includes suburbs of Kansas City. Raised on a farm in Missouri, she was the first in her family to graduate from college and has lived in Kansas for more than 25 years. A former nonprofit executive and longtime advocate for public education and workers' rights, Holscher has built a reputation as a populist voice in the legislature on healthcare and ethics. The future of data centers emerged as a central flashpoint during the Democratic primary debate: Holscher voiced regret for her initial backing of an incentive package aimed at attracting more hyperscale data center investment, pivoting to call for a statewide moratorium on new facilities. Holscher's campaign focuses on affordability, protecting public services, and increasing government accountability.
Kansas is viewed as top opportunity for Republicans to flip the governor's mansion. The Cook Political Report and Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball both rate the gubernatorial race Lean Republican.
Attorney General
Incumbent Attorney General Kris Koback ran unopposed in the Republican primary. A constitutional law professor by training, he holds degrees from Harvard, Oxford, and Yale, and served in the U.S. Department of Justice under President George W. Bush. Kobach was elected attorney general in 2022. His reelection campaign focuses on law-and-order and conservative legal priorities including public safety, immigration, constitutional rights, and consumer protection.
Chris Mann ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, securing the nomination for the second time in four years. A former police officer, prosecutor, and private attorney, Mann has spent his career focused on public safety and representing crime victims. After a drunk driver ended his law enforcement career, he became a prosecutor and later founded a law practice representing victims of impaired driving. Mann has been critical of Attorney General Kobach, arguing he has used the office to advance a political agenda. His priorities include consumer protection, increased support for law enforcement, expanding the office's youth suicide prevention division, and addressing unregulated AI chatbots.
Treasurer
Incumbent Steven Johnson ran unopposed in the Republican primary for Kansas Treasurer. He was first elected in 2022. A lifelong Kansan, Johnson was raised on a cattle and grain farm near Assaria and earned degrees from Kansas State University and the University of Chicago. Before becoming treasurer, he served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 2011 to 2023, where he chaired the Taxation Committee and served on several fiscal policy committees. As treasurer, Johnson has emphasized responsible financial management, investment oversight, and expanding state savings programs for Kansans.
Juan Luengo faced no opposition in the Democratic primary. Luengo is a small business owner and community advocate with experience in financial services and entrepreneurship. He has positioned his campaign around making state finances work better for working families, increasing transparency, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are managed responsibly.
State Legislature
All 125 seats in the House of Representatives are up for reelection this year. Nineteen incumbents did not file for re-election in 2026, including House Speaker Daniel Hawkins (R) who is running for election for Kansas Commissioner of Insurance. A rule passed in 2023 limited speakers to only serving two consecutive terms, and Hawkins said part of his decision to run for insurance commissioner was based on that rule. At least four incumbents - two Democrats and two Republicans - lost their primaries.
Michigan
Governor
With Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) also barred by term limits, the stage is set for a competitive open-seat race in November. While two candidates competed in the Democratic primary, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson was the clear frontrunner ahead of election day and easily secured the Democratic nomination with approximately 83% of the vote. Benson was first elected in 2019: She's touted her efforts to improve state government efficiency, strengthen election security, and expand voter engagement. Prior to her time in office, Benson served as dean of Wayne State University Law School, the youngest woman in American history to lead a top 100 accredited law school. Affordability is a centerpiece of Benson’s campaign, which highlights specific plans to lower the costs of housing, energy, and healthcare. Under her housing agenda, she intends to expand opportunities for first-time home buyers and streamline the construction approval process. Her energy plan calls to reform the rate setting process, modernize the state’s power grid, and hold corporations accountable for their energy costs. Benson’s healthcare agenda seeks to expand access to care for rural and underserved communities.
Congressman and Trump-endorsee John James and businessman Perry Johnson were frontrunners in a four-man Republican primary. Despite Johnson’s best efforts to close a widening gap by pouring more than $30 million of his own money into his campaign, James advanced to November’s general election after securing approximately 50% of the vote.
James has served in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District since 2023. James is a West Point graduate who served eight years in the US Army as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer. Following his time in the service, James led his family’s business, James Group International. James’ campaign priorities include eliminating excessive bureaucracy and fraud within state government, increasing parental rights over their child’s education and healthcare, abolishing the state income tax, and expanding Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiatives across the state.
James and Benson will go head-to-head in a race that both the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball have labeled as Leans Democrat.
Attorney General
Michigan voters will select a new attorney general in November as incumbent Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) is term limited. Party nominees are selected through their respective party conventions: The Republican convention took place on March 28 and the Democratic convention took place on April 19.
Attorney Doug Lloyd was advanced as the Republican nominee. Lloyd is a seasoned prosecutor, serving four consecutive terms as Eaton County Prosecuting Attorney. As a county prosecutor, Lloyd focused efforts on Eaton County’s Economic Crimes Unit and expanded access to specialty courts seeking to promote second chances for offenders while still holding them accountable. Lloyd’s campaign builds upon his record as a prosecutor, promising to fairly indict criminals, uphold constitutional rights, and prevent federal overreach.
Attorney Eli Savit was selected as the Democratic nominee. Savit has served as prosecuting attorney for Washtenaw County since 2021. In this position, he established dedicated special-victims and domestic violence units within the prosecutor’s office and created Washtenaw County’s Conviction Integrity and Expungement Unit dedicated to remedying wrongful convictions. Savit previously served as Senior Legal Counsel for the City of Detroit where he led lawsuits against the opioid industry, tax-delinquent banks, and land-speculators. He also worked as an environmental lawyer. Savit’s campaign priorities include strengthening consumer protections, protecting workers’ rights, upholding constitutional rights and freedoms, and holding polluters accountable for their environmental impact.
State Legislature
All 38 senate seats and all 110 house seats are up for election. A total of 21 senate incumbents and 22 house incumbents did not file for reelection.
Several members of senate leadership are termed out or are seeking higher office. President Pro Tempore Jeremy Moss (D) is running for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, Assistant President Pro Tempore Erika Geiss (D) and Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D) are both term limited, and Majority Floor Leader Sam Singh opted not to seek reelection. Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt ran in the Republican primary for governor, unofficially withdrawing from the race ahead of election day.
In the house, Majority Floor Leader Bryan Posthumus (R) decided not to seek reelection. While most incumbents were able to secure their party’s nomination, Representative Helena Scott (D) is currently trailing her primary competitor Chris Gilmer-Hill, 49% to 43%, with 89% of the vote tabulated.