Allison Campbell

Ty Masterson, the president of the Kansas senate, expresses his gratitude for different Kansas agencies being able to come together to make a positive impact on the health care field. “From the leadership teams, to those that worked on the project, to the members of the legislature that helped us push those projects though… that was a tremendous accomplishment,” Masterson said. “I love when we can work together.”

Director of GoCreate, Ty Masterson, announced his 2026 Republican gubernatorial campaign on Sunday.

Masterson’s website said he is running to “Take Back Kansas,” pointing to incumbent Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and liberal policies as a driving force for his campaign for the seat.

“Tangling with Laura Kelly these last few years has taught me I can only do so much from the position I’m in,” Masterson said in his announcement video. “Big change comes from the big seat.”

Kelly is term-limited and cannot run again in 2026.

Since 2021, Masterson has held the highest position in the Kansas Senate as its president. He said that in the Senate, he reduced $2 billion in state taxes, advocated for the prohibition of transgender healthcare for minors and the exclusion of “men from women’s sports.”

His objectives also include eliminating “woke left ideology from our college campuses.” Previously, he publicly supported ICE, participating in a pro-ICE rally with Kris Kobach in 2018.

Masterson has served as the director of GoCreate, a 20,000 square-foot maker space on the Innovation Campus, since its opening in 2017. 

The general election for Kansas governor is on November 3, 2026. Primary dates have not yet been set.