By Zach Boblitt, Kansas News Service
The gubernatorial Kansas State Fair debate provided plenty of attacks from both candidates hoping to make their opponent look radical. Both Democrat and Republican supporters believe their candidate is the clear moderate choice.
Property Tax Relief
Republican Senate President Ty Masterson attacked Democratic Sen. Cindy Holscher’s voting record as proof that she does not actually want property tax relief for Kansans.
“She’s spent years voting against property tax relief,” Masterson said.
Holscher attacked Masterson’s inability to get property tax relief done, despite having a GOP supermajority in the senate.
“He either doesn’t want to do it or he can’t do it,” Holscher said multiple times during the debate.
She pointed to his 20 years as a state senator and six years as the Senate’s leader as proof that he does not want to get things done.
Data center dilemma
Masterson attacked state Sen. Cindy Holscher for flip-flopping on tax breaks for data centers. She voted for data center tax breaks but has since changed her position on the plan.
Masterson called her a typical politician. He also wants to cede to local control when it comes to data center development.
“There are places where they don’t make sense,” he said. “And there are places where they do make sense.”
Holscher disagreed with his labeling of her as a flip-flopper. She described herself as someone who takes new information and changes her position based on that info.
During the primary, Holscher said she regrets that vote. She has since called for a moratorium on data centers until Kansans are protected.
“We need to have the guard rails in place to protect our resources and our people,” Holscher said.
Radical socialist vs. Brownback 2.0
Both candidates framed their opponents as radicals, with Masterson regularly labeling Holscher as a socialist, leftist and progressive. Holscher said that Masterson wanted to bring the state back to an era that was not good for Kansas.
Masterson told fairgoers multiple times to look up his opponents record.
Masterson contends that Holscher is the most radical, leftist candidate in Kansas history.
Holscher supporters held signs that said “Brownback Remastered.” She echoed the sentiment and pointed to Brownback’s tenure that was marked by budget troubles following tax cuts. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers eventually overrode Brownback’s veto to reverse many of the tax cuts.
“This is Brownback 2.0,” Holscher said. “Supported by the same people that supported Sam Brownback and the disastrous Brownback experiment.”
What voters think
The packed, raucous crowd brought jeers and cheers to the pavilion.
Eighteen-year-old James Eakle cheered on Masterson during the debate. The teenager will get a chance to vote in his first election this November and he’s excited to vote for the Senate president.
“I think he's a pleasant change from Laura Kelly,” Eakle said. “Masterson will do a great job at reversing a lot of the damage she's done and helping Kansas to grow.”
One Holscher supporter at the State Fair was Alice Keeler. She used to be a Republican, but after years of President Trump fatigue, the Wichita area teacher calls herself a “recovering Republican” now.
She said the party left her behind.
“I don't think my values have changed,” Keeler said before the debate. “We're for pro democracy. We're for freedom for people and we love farmers.”
Now she supports Holscher despite her three children being named after Republicans, including Nixon.
Both candidates continue to seek moderate support while casting their opponent as too radical for Kansas.
Zach Boblitt reports on the Kansas Statehouse for the Kansas News Service.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of Kansas Public Radio, KMUW, KCUR, KRPS and High Plains Public Radio.
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