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Candidates For Kansas Governor Need To Set Themselves Apart

Stephen Koranda
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KPR/File photo

There’s a crowded field of candidates running or considering the race for Kansas governor in 2018, and that means they’ll need to find ways to set themselves apart.

There are at least seven Republicans formally running, and at least four have statewide political experience in Kansas. So how do they differentiate themselves? They’ll agree on some issues, but Washburn University political scientist Bob Beatty says health care will create divisions.

“The health care issue, specifically Medicaid expansion, will be one of the key issues as we go into forums and debates,” Beatty says.

Related: The Kansas Race For Governor Gets Crowded

Several of the GOP candidates have connections to health care, and their opinions range from supporting Medicaid expansion to strongly opposing it. There are also at least four Democrats running for governor who will need to carve out their own spaces in the race.​

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service.

Copyright 2017 KMUW | NPR for Wichita

Stephen Koranda is the Statehouse Bureau Chief for Kansas Public Radio.
Stephen Koranda
Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio and the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, KMUW, Kansas Public Radio and High Plains Radio covering health, education and politics.