State Senate President Ty Masterson has won the Republican nomination in Kansas’ race for governor, NBC News projects, riding an endorsement from President Donald Trump to the general election in a state that is arguably the party’s best gubernatorial pickup opportunity this year.
Masterson emerged from a primary field that included Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, businessman Philip Sarnecki and several others.
He will face the winner of the Democratic gubernatorial primary, which includes state Sens. Cindy Holscher and Ethan Corson. Holscher has run a progressive, anti-establishment campaign, while Corson has leaned heavily on his support from term-limited Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Masterson and his allies were outspent on the airwaves by his GOP opponents, but his support from the president put him over the top. Trump won Kansas by double digits in each of the last three presidential elections.
In a tele-rally last week, Trump lauded Masterson as a “fighter,” a “winner” and as someone who has “done a fantastic job — throughout life, actually.”
“We love each other, we love that state,” Trump said.
Kansas, where registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats nearly 2 to 1, represents the GOP’s best opportunity to pick up a gubernatorial seat this fall.