Investigation Links Kansas Candidate Policies to ALEC

Kansas’ 2026 governor’s race pits Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher against Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson, with history offering no easy prediction: since 1974, no party has won three consecutive gubernatorial elections, and control has frequently shifted in close contests. Holscher could break that pattern after Democrats won the last two races; a Masterson victory would continue it. A Kansas Reflector investigation found that several policy achievements Masterson highlights—including tax cuts, election-security measures and efforts to oppose what he calls “woke ideology” on campuses—are rooted in model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). Masterson, an ALEC board member who has spent campaign funds on the group’s meetings and dues, described it as informative and influential, while denying that anyone directed how he should vote.