Kansas Governor Candidates Clash Over Rising Property Taxes

Kansas’ governor’s race between Republican Ty Masterson and Democrat Cindy Holscher has centered on property taxes, with campaigns trading ads over Holscher’s votes on tax measures and Masterson’s ties to former Gov. Sam Brownback’s tax experiment. A political science professor said Holscher did vote against some property-tax measures, including a proposed cap on growth in taxable values, while describing Masterson as influential in the Brownback administration; he judged the experiment a failure. Holscher argues Masterson and Republican lawmakers failed to deliver meaningful relief despite years of legislative control, as statewide property-tax collections rose from $5.4 billion in 2021 to $6.6 billion in 2025. Masterson proposes limiting annual growth in taxable assessed values, while Holscher would lower the residential assessment rate; critics of each plan warn it could shift costs to other property owners. Ratings cited by the reports differ, with one describing the contest as a toss-up and another rating it Lean Republican.