Inside Kansas’ chaotic governor race + Missouri cuts Dolly Parton’s book funding
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jeff Colyer bowed out after President Trump endorsed Ty Masterson.
- Curt Skoog entered the Democratic Kansas governor primary, creating a three-way contest.
- A Missouri judge upheld language for an initiative to eliminate the state income tax.
Hello, Star readers,
Today, we’re exploring the last-minute entries and exits that shook up both the Republican and Democratic primary fields in the Kansas governor race in one chaotic morning.
Next, we’ll get into:
• Free book funding: Missouri lawmakers made deep cuts to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. Check out how KC-area lawmakers voted on the controversial spending bill.
• MO income tax: In a major win for Republican officials, a Missouri judge upheld the language on a ballot initiative aiming to eliminate the state’s income tax. Here’s why it matters.
This week in politics
Two competitive primary races for the Sunflower State’s next chief executive were reshaped on Monday, which was the deadline for candidates to officially file to appear on the August ballot.
On the Republican side, former Gov. Jeff Colyer opted to bow out rather than remain in the race following President Trump’s endorsement of his GOP rival, Senate President Ty Masterson.
“For me, there are many ways to serve, and I shall continue to do so with every fiber of my being,” Colyer said in a statement.
Another one-time Republican contender, former Wichita school board member Joy Eakins, joined Johnson County entrepreneur Philip Sarnecki’s ticket as his lieutenant governor pick on Monday.
The Democratic primary transformed into a three-way contest when Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog launched an eleventh-hour bid to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Skoog said he made the decision to join the primary fray because he didn’t believe either of the leading Democratic candidates — state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher — was “getting traction.”
Read the full story about late entrants to the race, including a husband and wife duo who are running on the same ticket.
More from this past week
• In a sharp rebuke of the new Democratic challenger, Gov. Kelly reaffirmed her support for Corson and characterized Skoog’s last-minute bid as “opportunistic” and “foolhardy.”
• Tempers flared in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate when state lawmaker Patrick Schmidt lobbed a disputed sex abuse cover-up allegation at the Rev. Adam Hamilton.
• As KC prepares to host massive World Cup crowds, here’s how law enforcement officials say their approach to fan fest security was shaped by the 2024 Chiefs Super Bowl rally shooting.
Looking for more?
• For more politics news, follow @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social, @kacen.bsky.social, @grice1911.bsky.social and Jack Harvel’s Facebook page.
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That’s all for now! See you next week.
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