Scott Schwab, Kansas’ top elections official, is running for governor in 2026
Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab on Wednesday launched a bid to become governor, making him the first major candidate to enter the 2026 field.
The Overland Park Republican announced his candidacy in a press release and video posted to his rebranded campaign website.
“We need to return to the values and principles that have always fueled us, and gave me the strength to lead in Topeka,” Schwab said. “I have a proven conservative record. And a servant’s heart. It’s important for Kansas to take the right path.”
Born in Great Bend, Schwab, 52, served over a decade in the Kansas House of Representatives before winning the Republican primary and general election to become secretary of state in 2019. He was re-elected to the post in 2022.
His office is responsible for administering elections, collecting records from Kansas businesses and making official publications for the state.
“I believe that to do something great, you need to throw off the chains holding you back. For Kansas, that’s big government, and that is why I am running for governor,” said Schwab, who described himself as “a Christian, a father, and a believer in the American dream.”
“As Secretary of State, I streamlined business services and cut bureaucratic red tape. Secured our elections too. But there’s more we can do.”
Track record
Schwab has at times clashed with conservatives over Kansas election security, refusing to entertain conspiracy theories about widespread fraud popularized by Donald Trump after his 2020 defeat.
Schwab prevailed against former Johnson County Commissioner Mike Brown in a 2022 primary contest that served as a litmus test for whether Kansas voters believed the state’s election infrastructure was secure.
In his office’s 2025 legislative priorities, released Tuesday, Schwab stated that he is “seeking authority to regulate the use of drop boxes and increase election worker safety by making it a crime to threaten or interfere with election workers performing official duties.”
As Republicans look to avenge back-to-back gubernatorial defeats at the hands of Democrat Laura Kelly, the name recognition Schwab has built in six years as a statewide officeholder could serve him well. His campaign launch comes a full 19 months before the primary.
“Scott Schwab and any of the other Republicans that enter what is sure to be a growing and messy primary field would bring Kansas back to the days of broken budgets, broken roads, and broken promises to students and teachers,” said Emma O’Brien, a spokesperson for the Democratic Governors Association.
It was a tragedy that first put Schwab in the spotlight for many Kansans. His son Caleb’s 2016 death on a water slide at Schlitterbahn WaterPark in Kansas City eventually led to the park’s closure.
The Schwab family reached a nearly $20 million civil settlement with the water park and a judge dismissed criminal charges against the park’s designers and operators.
This story was originally published January 8, 2025 at 8:52 AM.
