Cindy Holscher

Cindy Holscher is an American Democratic politician from Kansas who has been elected the state’s next governor. She is a member of the Kansas Senate for the 8th district. The Associated Press called the 2026 governor’s race for her on 12 November 2026, with Holscher ahead of Republican Ty Masterson by about 7,500 votes, KMBC reported.

Holscher was born on 26 April 1969 in Slater, Missouri, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri. She worked mostly in corporate management at Sprint and later served as a substitute teacher in Johnson County schools. She won a seat in the Kansas House of Representatives in 2016 and began serving on 9 January 2017. Voters elected her to the Kansas Senate in 2020, and she took office on 11 January 2021. She was re-elected in 2024.

She announced her run for governor on 12 June 2025, the first Democrat to do so, and named Kelechi Ohaebosim as her running mate in May 2026. She replaces Laura Kelly, a Democrat who was term-limited. Her inauguration is set for 11 January 2027 in Topeka, according to KCTV5.

Sources: Wikipedia, Cindy Holscher for Kansas, KCTV5.