With favorability ratings for the governor and the Kansas Legislature low, dozens of state lawmakers will find out Tuesday whether they’ve survived primary challenges. Among them: a Wichita-area senator who’s been the face of Gov. Brownback’s fiscal policies.
Senate Ways & Means Chairman Ty Masterson helped usher in massive income tax cuts in 2012. Many moderates and Democrats now blame the cuts for repeated budget shortfalls.
But Emporia State Professor Michael Smith says voters may not blame Masterson himself.
“People that are plugged in politically have certainly heard Masterson’s name and associate it with the tax cuts and Republican leadership in the Senate," Smith says. "But most people aren’t that politically plugged in.”
Masterson’s opponent, Andover City Councilman Troy Tabor, is vowing to restructure state spending, but the 16th Senate District primary has been overshadowed by a race for sheriff.
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