Kansas governor, AG races too close to call; Davids wins in 3rd District

Polls in Kansas were open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m Tuesday as voters made their picks for governor, representatives in Washington, D.C., and Topeka and various other statewide positions.

In the Kansas governor’s race, incumbent Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, faced Republican Attorney General Derek Schmidt. The race was too close to call late Tuesday.

Voters also chose candidates in the race for attorney general, where former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican, faces off against Democratic candidate Chris Mann. That race too, had not been decided Tuesday night.

In Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids defeated Republican Amanda Adkins.

In addition to the races, all Kansas voters weighed in on these two ballot questions and had the opportunity to retain state and local judges.

Kansas governor’s race too close to call

Updated 12:04 a.m. Kansas Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly held a narrow lead over Republican state Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the race for governor as vote counting continued late Tuesday night, even as the race remained too close to call.

Kelly, who is seeking a second term, led Schmidt 50% to 47% about 10:30 p.m., with 82% of precincts reporting results.

Kelly won the state’s two largest counties – Johnson and Sedgwick – even as counting in rural areas, likely to be areas supportive of Schmidt, continued.

Adkins concession speech

Updated 12:02 a.m. After the election went in Davids’ favor, Adkins took the stage to address a crowd of supporters, many of whom were there to cheer her on for a second time.

Adkins said she was inspired by her family to run. She shared a piece of advice for her children in their future endeavors.

“When it comes to public service, I want you all to have courage,” she said. “I want you to step forward and always value the dignity and purpose of every single human being on this planet.”

Adkins said her campaign stood out for its ability to stay genuine, despite the race’s cut-throat nature.

“In a race that was unbelievably negative, I can say, on behalf of myself and my family and my wonderful campaign team … we have been intellectually honest,” Adkins said. “We have been kind.”

She thanked the audience for their efforts, saying she wants to leave them a focus on public service.

Kansas AG race too close to call Tuesday night

Updated 10:46 p.m. The two candidates for Kansas attorney general are neck and neck as the remaining precincts send in their votes Tuesday night.

Democrat Chris Mann, promising a focus on public safety, has garnered 446,123 votes, while nationally recognized hard-right Republican Kris Kobach has received 438,985 votes, putting the split at 50%.

The Kansas Secretary of State’s Office has received results from about 84% of the state’s precincts as of 10:20 p.m. Tuesday.

All six state Supreme Court justices to stay on the bench

Updated 10:30 p.m. Months after Kansans overwhelmingly rejected a constitutional amendment removing the state level right to an abortion, a majority of voters opted to retain state Supreme Court justices likely to uphold that right.

Six of the seven justices on the Kansas Supreme Court stood for retention on Tuesday’s ballot.

Kansans solidly voted to retain all six judges during Tuesday’s election. With 3,142 out of 4,040 precincts reporting results, 73% of voters favored retaining Stegall; 67% chose to retain Standridge; 66% voted to retain Biles, Wilson and Luckert; and 65% voted to retain Wall.

Johnson County Commission race

Updated 10:22 p.m. Roeland Park Mayor Mike Kelly defeated Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara on Tuesday in the race for the top elected spot on the Johnson County Board of Commissioners.

As longtime Chairman Ed Eilert prepared to step down, O’Hara, a conservative who has represented District 3 since 2021, faced Kelly, a Democrat who is known for his work combating climate change, for the open seat. The chair represents the county as a whole.

In addition, newcomers were vying for three of the six commission seats, representing Districts 1, 4 and 5 for four-year terms. Incumbents Becky Fast, Janee Hanzlick and Michael Ashcraft all won their reelection bids to continue serving as commissioners.

Davids wins in Kansas’ 3rd District

Updated 9:55 p.m. Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids won her rematch against Republican Amanda Adkins in Kansas Tuesday, focusing heavily on preserving abortion rights to weather a Republican wave and secure her third term in the U.S. House.

Already the only Democrat in the Kansas delegation, Davids may face the tougher task of legislating as a member of the minority party in Congress for the first time, with Republicans poised to control of U.S. House.

“When I’m representing the Kansas third in Washington, D.C., when I’m bringing our issues and our concerns and our successes out to D.C., I’m doing it in a way that is absolutely focused on getting concrete solutions for this district and our state,” Davids said at a campaign rally last week.

Davids is leading Adkins by 13 percentage points with 704 of 757 precincts reporting, according to the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office. All of the remaining precincts are in Miami County.

Davids leading in Kansas’ 3rd District

Updated 9:18 p.m. Davids has an early 57% to 41% lead over Republican Amanda Adkins with about 68% of the vote reported in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District.

A Davids victory would likely indicate Democrats held off the Republican tidal wave that some analysts predicted, as voters face record inflation. While Republicans had a big night in Florida, other key swing races remained too close to call.

Davids and the Democrats made abortion rights a key focus of the campaign, hoping to capitalize on momentum from the August vote that soundly rejected a ballot measure that would have removed the right to an abortion from the Kansas constitution.

Rep. Sharice Davids watch party

Updated 9:07 p.m. Approximately 200 supporters of Davids gathered in a bright-lit ballroom at the Overland Park Sheraton.

Kansas state Sen. Ethan Corson kicked things off at the party, telling the crowd he’s been involved in Kansas politics since 2014 and has never seen a stronger slate of state legislative candidates. He added that he thinks “tonight is gonna be a great night.”

Johnson County Community College trustee Dawn Rattan invoked Kansans’ August vote to protect voting rights in the state.

Calling herself an “OG Sharice fan,” Rattan said, “When it came time to stand up and show the world what we were about and what we value, Sharice was there for us. She’s going to defend our rights against those who try to take them away — and believe me, they’re gonna try to take them away.”

Lt. Gov. David Toland speaks at Kelly watch party

Updated 9:05 p.m. Lt. Gov. David Toland addressed Kelly’s watch party in Topeka about 8:30 p.m., sounding an optimistic note but acknowledging the race would be tight.

“The polls have been neck and neck from the very beginning. We know that tonight is going to be close,” Toland said.

Kelly, a Democrat, held an early lead over Schmidt. The governor had 57% of the vote compared to 40% for Schmidt with about 23% of precincts reporting results, according to unofficial results from the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office. The reported margin between Kelly and Schmidt is likely to narrow as counting continues.

“There’s a saying: as Kansas goes, so goes the nation,” Toland said, adding that Kansas demonstrated that after elected Kelly and Democratic U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids in 2018 and against in August when voters rejected an amendment that would have stripped abortion rights from the state constitution.

“It will be true again tonight if we reelect Gov. Laura Kelly,” Toland said to cheers.

Amanda Adkins watch party

Updated 8:22 p.m. In a crowded event space in the Marriott Kansas City Overland Park in Johnson County, supporters of Republican Amanda Adkins sported red blazers and pins..

In the lively room, a saxophonist trilled on one side of the main stage, while a painter depicting a bald eagle stood on the other.

Supporters said they feel enthusiastic that the night will unfold in their favor. Despite a recent showing Democratic incumbent Rep. Sharice Davids favored, Dennis Truman said he’s hoping for a red wave to sweep through tonight.

Truman aided Adkins through door knocking campaigns and posting signs around the district. Kansas needs a businesswoman like Adkins, he said.

“She’s a hard worker,” he said. “Any business woman knows she needs to keep her budget. They have to invest in certain key industries that will propel citizens into cheaper food — cheaper gas.”

Jameia Haimes, a mother of two college-aged children, said she’s a supporter of Adkins’s campaign because she resonates with her conservative values.

“I’m hopeful,” Haimes said. “I’m looking forward to Amanda’s leadership in areas, certainly with the economy and crime.”

Haimes said she appreciated how Adkins wants to address the fentanyl problem.

Moran wins third term in U.S. Senate

Updated 8:16 p.m. U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran won a third term Tuesday, coasting to victory amid a nationwide push by the Republican Party to win control of Congress.

Moran, who ran a campaign that attempted to place him above partisan politics, defeated former Kansas City, Kansas, mayor Mark Holland.

The Associated Press called the race just after 8 p.m.

Attorney General Derek Schmidt’s watch party

Updated 7:57 p.m. As Kansas Republicans gathered at the Hotel Topeka to see whether Schmidt will prevail over incumbent Kelly, two projectors displayed Fox Business’ election night broadcast as “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang played over the speakers.

Supporters trickled in as Kris Kobach, the party’s nominee for attorney general, state Rep. Steven Johnson, the nominee for Kansas treasurer and Katie Sawyer, Schmidt’s running mate, mingled with voters.

The mood remained light as early vote totals put Kelly ahead of Schmidt.

Kansas Republican chair Mike Kuckelman addressed the crowd, directing them to cheer and prove their enthusiasm exceeded that of the Democrats.

“We look forward to celebrating with you tonight,” he said.

Gov. Laura Kelly’s watch party

Updated 7:27 p.m. In Topeka, Kelly’s watch party at the Ramada was beginning to fill up as Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” played over loudspeakers. A results page from The New York TImes was projected onto two screens in a large ballroom.

In addition to waiting to see whether Kelly or Schmidt will win the governor’s race, Democrats are also watching to see whether Republicans will hold their two-thirds veto-proof majority in the Kansas House. If Democrats manage to take Republicans under that threshold, they will be able to ensure Kelly’s vetoes are not overturned if she is reelected.

“It would definitely be a little bit easier to sustain,” said Kansas Senate Minority Leader Dinah Sykes, a Lenexa Democrat.

Polls close at 7 p.m.

Updated 7:16 p.m. Today’s midterm elections presented Kansas voters the opportunity to cast a ballot for the governor and other statewide offices; congressional representatives to send to Washington, D.C.; state representatives to serve in Topeka; state school board members and judges, who stand for retention.

There were also two constitutional amendments on every Kansan’s ballot, on legislative power and sheriff’s elections.

Find live results in different races across the state here.

‘Not a massive amount’ of misinformation in Kansas election, official says

Updated 6:40 p.m. As officials in states like Arizona and Michigan spent much of Election Day combating misinformation about voting Tuesday, Kansas election director Bryan Casky said it has not been a major problem in Kansas.

“We have now received, what I would call, not a massive amount of reports that rise to the level of misinformation,” Casky said.

He cited one report in particular, that the voting machines at some polling locations were “flipping ballots,” meaning that they were selecting the opposite candidate than the voter selected.

Casky said this was a user error where a person touches the screen and selects someone they didn’t intend to pick. He urged voters to check their paper ballots before they turn it in to make sure their votes were accurately selected.

Polls close at 7 p.m. in Kansas and voters are urged to stay in line if they were already in line when polls close.

There were reports of long lines in Rice County, where two polling places did not have enough paper ballots and had to print more, according to Casky.

Problems with fewer than 100 ballots at Bonner Springs site, official says

Updated 6:31 p.m. At a polling site at the Bonner Springs Family YMCA, Supervising Judge John Hoag said workers encountered a problem with improperly unfolded paper ballots that were rejected by voting machines.

It was a problem reported elsewhere in the county, and state election officials said it would result in some ballots being counted by hand, with results coming after Tuesday night.

At the Bonner Springs location, workers hit a snag with fewer than 100 ballots, Hoag said. None of the ballots were voided, but several had to be run through the machine five or six times. Ballots that refused to go through were sealed and will be given to the election office, Hoag said.

At 2 p.m., he said, workers got the hang of handling the creased ballots, and everything has been smooth sailing since.

Davids and Adkins face off in Kansas’ 3rd District

Updated 6:11 p.m. Last month, Democratic Rep. Sharice Davids and Republican Amanda Adkins called each other dishonest and untrustworthy in their first televised debate, amid a tight contest to determine who will represent Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District for the next two years.

Around five minutes into the debate, the two came to a head on an argument about abortion rights that has been simmering between their two campaigns over the previous week.

In answering a question on abortion, Davids said Adkins would support a federal ban on abortion — a stance Adkins had just refuted — based on the fact that she supported a budget plan by a group of Republicans that contained provisions supporting a federal ban on abortion.

Adkins accused Davids of a misleading attack, saying she’s been clear where she stands on a federal ban.

Read more about the candidates in The Star’s Oct. 21 story about the debate.

KCK election officials deal with paper ballot problem

Updated 5:16 p.m. At a polling site at the Recreation Annex Building in Kansas City, Kansas, Supervising Judge Steve Zuck said the issue of improperly unfolded ballots has posed a slight problem at his location.

Across the county, election workers and voters have faced a problem with improperly unfolded paper ballots being rejected by voting machines. State officials said some votes in Wyandotte County will have to be counted by hand, with totals being reported after Tuesday night.

Roughly 10 ballots were voided after they couldn’t be unfolded properly, Zuck said. But voters’ second ballots went through successfully each time.

However, the vast majority of ballots went through the first time seamlessly.

“It’s a widespread thing we’ve just been dealing with,” he said.

No technical issues at two KCK polling sites

Updated 4:53 p.m. At the Heart of America Region Volleyball Complex in Kansas City, Kansas, Supervising Judge Annette Kramer said the problem of improperly unfolded ballots has not been an issue as at other locations in the county.

Similarly, at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th St., Supervising Judge Latricia Griffin said the polling site has had no technical issues.

Griffin said the location has seen high turnout this year, especially with young voters.

Misleading text message pretends to be from anti-abortion group

Updated 4:28 p.m. A text message went out in a Leavenworth state House of Representatives district pretending to be Kansans for Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion organization.

The text included the Kansans for Life logo and Republican incumbent Rep. Pat Proctor’s photo with the words Pat Proctor will ban abortion.

Kansans for Life endorsed Proctor but has generally strayed away from messaging focused directly on banning abortion. In the lead up to Kansas’ August vote on a constitutional amendment that would have allowed an abortion ban the organization focused their campaign on protecting existing restrictions and regulations.

In a newsletter the KFL Political Action Committee warned supporters not to be tricked by the messaging.

“We can only assume this is an act of desperation designed by those aligned with the abortion industry to mislead voters in the final moments before voting,” the email read.

Proctor did not immediately respond to The Star’s request for comment.

Harry Schwarz, Proctor’s Democratic challenger, said his campaign had nothing to do with the texts and he did not know who sent them.

“If they’re impersonating a well known group or faith that’s wrong,” Schwarz said. “But I do believe that Pat Proctor is pro-life.”

Wyandotte County official says improperly unfolded ballots will be counted by hand

Updated 4:19 p.m. Wyandotte County Election Commissioner Michael Abbott said local officials were aware of a problem with improperly unfolded paper ballots at some polling sites starting about 7 a.m. Tuesday.

State officials said in an update Tuesday afternoon that some of the ballots in Wyandotte County will need to be hand counted and may not be included in the results reported Tuesday night.

Abbott said that, because the county’s paper ballots were so long, they came folded so they could fit in the transfer cartons.

Election workers were trained on how to unfold the ballots before giving them to voters, but some weren’t doing it properly, Abbott said. The ballots that weren’t completely unfolded were being rejected by the machines. This resulted in long lines at some locations.

Abbott said the problems began about 7 a.m. and several locations called elections officials to report the issue. Staff went to each location to show workers how to correctly unfold the ballots.

Abbott said he was not aware of any locations that continued to have problems as of Tuesday afternoon.

Voters who had problems with their folded ballots were allowed to get a new ballot and try again, filling out a printed ballot that would go through the machine more easily. They also had the option of letting poll workers seal the ballot in an envelope to be sent back to the election office to be hand counted later.

Abbott said he was not sure how many votes would need to be hand counted but he did not think it was a large percentage.

Will election conspiracy theories cause permanent damage to democracy in Kansas?

Updated 3:19 p.m. As Kansas heads into the Nov. 8 election with one of the most competitive races for governor in the country on the ballot, the onslaught of election denialism poses real risks, voting rights advocates argue.

Though exaggerated claims of voter fraud are not new to the Sunflower State, former President Donald Trump’s continued refusal to accept his 2020 defeat helped set a fire in Kansas that continued to spread ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election.

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the GOP nominee for governor, signed onto the Texas-led lawsuit that aimed to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who is seeking to succeed Schmidt as attorney general, advised Texas on its unsuccessful effort to invalidate President Joe Biden’s victories in swing states.

Read more from The Star’s in-depth look at the issue earlier this year.

Ballot counting machine issues in Wyandotte County

Updated 2:40 p.m. Some ballots in Wyandotte County will need to be hand counted and may not be included in the results reported Tuesday night, state election officials said.

Three polling places in the county had issues with ballot counting machines where they could not process ballots that had been folded, Kansas Election Director Bryan Caskey told reporters in a briefing Tuesday afternoon. Those ballots, he said, would be hand counted.

Caskey said he had not heard reports of similar issues in other counties and did not know how many ballots were expected.

Secretary of State Scott Schwab attributed the issue to the size of the ballot. Because voters are asked to decide on retaining Kansas judges, ballots this year are extra long, he said.

“This is why the Legislature may need to revisit the way they do the judge retention because it’s frustrating the system,” Schwab said.

As of 2 p.m. the Kansas Secretary of State’s office was still estimating 53% turnout.

Schwab noted that lines were longer than usual but said it was unclear at this point whether that was due to the length of the ballot or more voters coming out.

High turnout in Leawood

Updated 1:55 p.m. Voter turnout has been high on Election Day at Curé of Ars Catholic Church, a polling place in Leawood, as reported on Twitter by The Star’s Andrea Klick.

Supervising Judge Bob Fowler said the location had record turnout in August with 1250 voters total. Just before 1 p.m. Tuesday, the site had already processed over 650 votes. He said that means they’re on track to meet or break their record set back in August.

Leawood voter RJ Haskin, a 23-year-old who works in data management, voted for Republican candidates including Derek Schmidt, Amanda Adkins and Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara.

He said would want leaders who support gun rights and further restrict abortion rights.

Matt Adamson, 45, of Leawood said he also voted Tuesday for all Republican candidates.

In terms of the gubernatorial race, he said he didn’t like Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, he said, should have been ended sooner to help the economy and keep student test scores from dropping.

Sam Sokoloff, a 21-year-old University of Kansas student, drove 45 minutes from Lawrence to his hometown of Leawood to vote for Democrats like Gov. Laura Kelly and 3rd District Democratic incumbent Sharice Davids, whom he thought would help advance climate policies.

While Sokoloff doesn’t think any of the candidates are doing enough to lessen the effects of climate change through policy, he believes the Democrats are better than most Republican candidates who he said have denied the legitimacy of the issue and taken no action.

Constitutional amendments on Kansas ballots

Updated 1:24 p.m. Besides selecting their candidates of choice, voters who head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots will also see two constitutional amendments on the ballot.

Amendment 1 would give the state Legislature the power to overrule regulations with a simple majority vote – which is much easier than passing a bill.

Granting more power over regulations to the Legislature would be a win for Kansas Republicans, who have held majorities in both chambers since the ‘90s. Unlike the Legislature, power over the governor’s office has frequently shifted between Republicans and Democrats in the last two decades. The amendment creates an easier path for the Legislature to overturn regulations and other executive actions.

Amendment 2 would add a section to the state constitution that would require counties to maintain a sheriff as an elected position. It wouldn’t apply to the one county in Kansas that doesn’t have a sheriff, Riley County.

It would also change the way a sheriff could be removed from office. A sheriff would only be able to be involuntarily removed from office through a recall election or by the attorney general. Local prosecutors would no longer have the ability to start proceedings to remove a sheriff, even if the sheriff commits misconduct.

Abortion rights a major issue for voters

Updated 11:52 a.m. Abortion rights were a major issue for many voters coming to the polls on Tuesday.

At the Johnson County Library, Sandra Schmitz, 64, of Overland Park said she doesn’t normally participate in midterm elections but felt “too much is at stake” in terms of abortion rights and the future of democracy.

She voted for all Democrats and said her social values clash with Republican candidates like Derek Schmidt, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

“I’m scared to death that Trump is gonna get in there again,” she said, “and I’m gonna do everything I can to stop that.”

Kari Blair, a 47-year-old speech therapist from Shawnee, said she was also happy when Kansans voted down attempts to further restrict abortion rights, an issue which Republicans have worked to downplay on the campaign trail. She said she voted for Kelly among other Democrats.

For her, the August primary was a wake-up call that she needed to pay more attention to politics so her rights can’t be stripped without her having a say.

“Things can get taken if you’re not paying attention,” she said.

The Rev. V. Gordon Glenn III, 50, also said he voted to keep Kelly and other Democrats in office.

On top of keeping abortion rights intact, Glenn said he likes Kelly’s stances on guns, the food tax and especially how she reopened schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Glenn has two kids and said he l believes Kelly “reopened schools in a safe and measured way to make sure our children are kept safe.”

High early voting turnout may mean fewer Election Day voters

Updated 10:32 a.m. A supervising judge in Mission on Tuesday morning said turnout has been steady for this election, compared to the August primary when she felt like election workers were “constantly busy.”

She said that may be because of high numbers of voters coming to cast advance ballots in person.

According to the supervising judge, workers had about 800 voters a day at the Mission Motor Vehicle Office who turned out to take advantage of early voting. She said at the Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center, workers saw about 300 early voters an hour leading up to Election Day.

Still, voters could be seen lined up at polling places like the Johnson County Library on Tuesday morning.

Steady start to voter turnout in Olathe

Updated 9:50 a.m. As voting got underway in Olathe, turnout was steady at various polling locations.

At the Salvation Army in Olathe, supervising judge Kathy Roberts said turnout had been steady since an initial line in the morning. She said there were more voters Tuesday morning than they had seen at the same time in August.

At Olathe City Hall, no more than two or three people waited in line after an initial morning rush, and a supervising judge said turnout was about the same as it was in August as of around 9 a.m.

Cindy Briscoe, a 51-year-old physical therapist from Olathe, said she came to the polls to protect abortion rights. She and her two teenage daughters were “very happy” in August when Kansans overwhelmingly voted against an amendment that would’ve allowed further restrictions on abortions.

“We need to keep our freedoms for our children,” Briscoe said.

Alyx Heizer, 30, voted for similar reasons. The Olathe resident who works in finance said she also voted against the abortion amendment and has attended several protests in support of abortion rights.

On Tuesday, she supported all Democrats, including Gov. Laura Kelly and Rep. Sharice Davids, because she believes they’ve worked across party lines on various issues while supporting the causes she and other millennials support.

Heizer said she wants her generation to make a difference in Kansas so that she can be proud of the state her 5-year-old daughter is growing up in.

“I feel like it’s time that we step up a little bit more,” she said, “and stop letting the older generations be the only ones who get a say.”

Billy Brooks, an Olathe resident who works for Children’s Mercy Hospital, said he’s most concerned with choosing candidates who can work across party lines. Regardless of party, he said politicians “need to work on getting the country back together.”

Where to go to vote?

Updated 7:25 a.m. Voters anywhere in Kansas can check their polling place by entering their address into the state’s Voter View platform.

Some voting locations have changed since the primary election just a few months ago. Here’s a list compiled by The Star of which polling sites have changed in the greater Kansas City area.

Now that the polls have opened, election officials like those in Johnson County are reminding voters to double check to ensure they have everything they need to vote before they head out to the polls, including an acceptable form of ID.

Kansas requires a photo ID in order to vote, but doesn’t require that it be issued by the federal government or the state of Kansas. Many forms of ID are acceptable as long as they bear your name and photo. If the ID has an expiration date, it must be unexpired unless you are 65 or older.

Eligible IDs include a driver’s license or other photo ID from any state, a U.S. passport, a student ID from a Kansas university, an employee ID from a government office, a public assistance ID card and more. Consult the Kansas secretary of state’s website for the full list.

GET READY TO VOTE WITH OUR KANSAS VOTER GUIDE

As you get ready to head to the polls, make sure you know what is on your ballot with our Kansas voter guide. It includes details on what candidates are running and where they stand on issues. This free tool is informed by questions submitted by Star readers like you.

Star reporters Andrea Klick, Katie Bernard and Jenna Thompson contributed to this report.