TOPEKA — President Donald Trump encouraged Kansans to vote leading up to Tuesday’s primary election while on a phone call Wednesday to boost Kansas GOP gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson’s profile.
Much of the Republican Party has rallied behind Masterson, who is facing six other Republicans, in an attempt to turn the governor’s office red and maintain supermajority strongholds in the Legislature.
Wednesday’s call was at least the second “tele-rally” Trump has participated in this week. He touted Masterson’s record as a state legislator, denigrated immigrants and praised Kansas values in a roughly five-minute spiel. He called Kansas’ primary an “important” election.
“Early voting is open now, so get out and vote early if you want, or if you prefer, you can go vote on Election Day,” Trump said, encouraging voters to cast ballots for Masterson.
The president has appeared on calls nationwide, vouching for his hand-selected Republican candidates ahead of primary elections in mostly red states, including incumbent members of Congress in Alabama, Louisiana and, most recently, Tennessee, and gubernatorial candidates in Georgia and South Carolina. The latter two, and his pick for Iowa, didn’t win their primaries.
Wednesday’s call came after Trump spent time in Michigan, where he gave pep talks to GOP candidatesand commended his own inflated accomplishments in the manufacturing sector.
Trump lauded his own success record in Kansas, and credited Masterson’s more than 20 years as a state legislator. The past six have been spent as Senate president. Trump endorsed the Andover Republican in May.
“I’m so honored to have your endorsement and want you to know I’m working every day to win this thing, and I want Kansas to be reliably red and America first,” Masterson said to Trump.
Hans Torgerson, a spokesperson for the Kansas Democratic Party, said that on the call, Masterson pledged to an agenda characterized by “cutting Medicaid, taxing Kansas farmers and small businesses through chaotic tariffs, and sending grocery and gas prices through the roof.”
“For Ty Masterson, it’s Washington first and Kansas last,” Torgerson said.
Trump highlighted legislation that passed under Masterson’s leadership, including bills that cut property taxes, ceased public assistance programs for immigrants and restricted trans youths’ sports participation.
He faulted Biden for letting millions of people into the country illegally, creating an “open borders dilemma.”
“We’ve caught most of them — many of them — and we’re never going to give up on that one,” Trump said.
Since Masterson received Trump’s endorsement in May, the campaign has announced a slew of endorsements from high-profile conservative organizations and figures, including U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and former Gov. Jeff Colyer, who planned to compete with Masterson for the Republican nomination for governor this year. Colyer dropped out of the race after Trump’s endorsement, just ahead of the state filing deadline.
Trump has also endorsed Marshall and incumbent U.S. Reps. Ron Estes, Tracey Mann and Derek Schmidt.
Masterson owns a consulting business and has held a position at Wichita State University, which was the subject of a recent Kansas City Star investigation in which political opponents called it a “no-show job.”
Masterson’s fellow Republican candidates include former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara, Nick Reinecker, Stacy Rogers, businessman Philip Sarnecki, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and state Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt. The winner will compete in November with one of three Democratic candidates — state Sens. Ethan Corson and Cindy Holscher and Overland Park Mayor Curt Skoog — to replace outgoing Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.
Masterson’s campaign said “thousands” participated in the call.
This story previously appeared in the Kansas Reflector.
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