WICHITA — Cindy Holscher said Thursday that Kansas voters are concerned about affordability, and that it is one of the reasons she decided to run for governor.
She talked about the issue during open remarks of a Democratic gubernatorial debate that was broadcast by the Wichita PBS station.
“We’re in a crisis and people are feeling like the system is rigged,” Holscher said. “We can’t continue to have the decks stacked against working people.”
Holscher and Ethan Corson, both state senators from Johnson County, joined Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog for the hour-long debate. The three are seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in the Aug. 4 primary.
Holscher said her goal if she wins the governor’s seat is to make life more affordable for residents of the state, lower property taxes and to increase access to healthcare and housing.
She also said the state has a budget problem, explaining that the state will head into a deficit in the years ahead. She said her experience as an executive at Sprint included designing and implementing budgets.
“What I won’t do, though, is I won’t be pushing and supporting programs and policies that sell us out to corporations or billionaires,” she said. “That’s why I voted against the Chiefs deal, because it sells out our future of being able to fund our schools and in critical infrastructure in favor of giving big tax deductions to billionaires.”
Corson argued that Holscher did vote for the deal to bring the Kansas City Chiefs across the state line. She clarified that she voted in favor of a bill that allowed the state to explore a deal, but opposed the actual offer.
“I think it’s interesting that Senator Corson wants to say that we both voted for that deal, when that’s not the case,” she said. “There were several steps to this process.”
Holscher and Corson both voted for House Bill 2001 during the 2024 special session to allow STAR bonds to fund up to 75% of development for major sports projects.
Holscher voted against House Bill 2466, which the governor signed into law in April. The bill creates a sports authority that will own the new Chiefs stadium and oversee its construction. Corson voted for it.
“It’s important that we have a governor who reads a legislation, who understands a legislation that they’re voting on, and who does their homework before they vote on it, not a year later,” Corson said. “The difference between Senator Holscher and I is I voted to make sure that our local communities in Wyandotte and Olathe had a voice in this project going forward.”
Corson also touted his experience with budgets and how he would address the looming shortfall if he were elected governor.
“This is something that I’ve done before. I was chief of staff at the International Trade Administration at the United States Department of Commerce,” Corson said. “I know what it means to manage a large budget in a large office, and right now we are fiscally stable, but we do have a long-term structural problem where we continue to spend more than we are taking in.”
Corson said he would veto pork-barrel projects and bring more jobs and businesses to the state.
Skoog, who is serving a second four-year term as mayor, acknowledged the state faces a budget challenge.
“As a mayor, I have been able to have a balanced budget every year,” Skoog said. “I appreciate my two senators, they do a great job in the Legislature, but you just saw an example of what a legislator will do in the governor’s office. I’m about building consensus. It’s not about fighting. It’s not about who said something first. It’s about getting things done.”
Skoog said during his time in Overland Park, he was able to build a dynamic, thriving community by building consensus within that community.
“We are a diverse community,” Skoog said. “We are 40% Republican, 40% Democrat. We are able to find a path forward, and that is the role of governor.”
If elected governor, Skoog says he will find consensus across the state to address the budget, solve problems, fund schools, address healthcare and build thriving communities.
This story previously appeared in the Kansas Reflector.
Copyright 2026 High Plains Public Radio
