The 2022 Kansas gubernatorial election took place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Kansas, with primary elections taking place on August 2, 2022. Governor Laura Kelly won election to a second term, defeating Republican State Attorney General Derek Schmidt in the general election by a margin of roughly 2.2 percentage points. This was the only statewide victory in 2022 for Democrats in Kansas.

This was the only Democratic-held governorship up for election in 2022 in a state Donald Trump won in the 2020 presidential election, and the race was expected to be one of the most competitive gubernatorial races in the nation. Some analysts and Kansas Republican Party officials had also predicted that Dennis Pyle, who was on the ballot as an independent, would have a spoiler effect benefiting Kelly. This was the first gubernatorial election in Kansas since 1986 in which the winner was from the same party as the incumbent president, and the first since 1978 that it was a Democrat.

Democratic primary Candidates Nominated Laura Kelly, incumbent governor (2019–present) Running mate: David Toland, incumbent lieutenant governor (2021–present) and Secretary of Commerce (2019–present)

Eliminated in primary Richard Karnowski, accountant Running mate: Barry Franco

Results

Republican primary Candidates Nominated Derek Schmidt, Kansas Attorney General (2011–2023) Running mate: Katie Sawyer, political staffer

Eliminated in primary Arlyn Briggs, perennial candidate Running mate: Lance Berland, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020

Withdrew Jeff Colyer, former governor (2018–2019) and former lieutenant governor (2011–2018) (endorsed Schmidt) Chase LaPorte, businessman

Declined Wink Hartman, businessman and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2018 Kris Kobach, former Kansas Secretary of State (2011–2019), nominee for governor in 2018, and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020 (running for Kansas Attorney General) Jerry Moran, U.S. senator (2011–present) (running for re-election) Ron Ryckman Jr., Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives (2017–2023) from the 78th District (2013–2023) (endorsed Schmidt)

Endorsements

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error JeffColyer Ron DerekSchmidt UndecidedCygnal (R)Cygnal (R)March 3–4, 2021510 (LV)± 4.3%19%5%28%49%

Results

Independent Candidates Declared Dennis Pyle, state senator from the 1st district, former Republican (2005–2025) Kathleen Garrison, Clearwater school board member

General election

Campaign Reporters noted the lack of attention towards abortion as an issue in the campaign by both major candidates, despite the defeat of an abortion amendment in August which was widely seen as a prominent victory for the pro-choice movement. In televised debates, Schmidt said that he respected the referendum results and accused Kelly of opposing existing abortion restrictions. Kelly denied the accusation, saying that she had stayed consistent on the subject, and further adding that she believed in "bodily autonomy" for women. When pressed on whether they would support retaining all justices in the state Supreme Court who ruled abortion as a fundamental constitutional right in 2019 and were up on the ballot, Kelly said that she would, while Schmidt said he would vote to retain some and not others.

Instead, both candidates focused more on "kitchen-table" issues such as the economy and education, where polls showed that the former of which was the most important concern among voters. Kelly's campaign tied Schmidt with former governor Sam Brownback and his Kansas experiment, highlighting Schmidt's defense of lawsuits regarding budget cuts to public education as the attorney general. In the contrary, Schmidt's campaign tied Kelly with President Joe Biden by focusing on national issues such as the increase in inflation and gas prices, portraying them as "big-spending liberals". Other issues include criminal justice and transgender people in sports.

Aside from state Supreme Court justice retention elections and other statewide elections, the election was also held on the same ballot as two referendums for proposed constitutional amendments. Question 1 would authorize the state legislature to veto any rules and regulations implemented by Kansas's executive branch with a simple majority. The proposal was spearheaded by Schmidt in 2021 in response to Governor Kelly's pandemic-related measures to close schools temporarily and he made COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates as a focal point in his platform. Kelly's campaign countered that the amendment would be a "power grab" that could create further gridlock in the state's legislative process. Question 2 would require most sheriffs to be elected directly by voters and that they could only be removed by a recall election or a challenge by the state attorney general. In a press release, Schmidt said that he would campaign for the amendment, arguing that electing sheriffs would make them "uniquely accountable to the people". Critics pointed out that the amendment could create abuse of power as the authority to investigate the sheriff would be stripped from district attorneys in every county and the attorney general could "play favorites" into which sheriff to investigate. In the end, Question 1 failed narrowly by a one-point margin, while Question 2 passed with 62% of the vote.

Predictions Source Ranking As of The Cook Political Report July 26, 2022Inside Elections July 22, 2022 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 7, 2022PoliticoAugust 12, 2022 RCPAugust 3, 2022Fox News October 25, 2022538September 13, 2022Elections DailyNovember 7, 2022

Post-primary endorsements

Polling Aggregate polls Source of pollaggregationDatesadministeredDatesupdated LauraKelly (D) DerekSchmidt (R) OtherMarginFiveThirtyEightFiveThirtyEightAugust 10 – October 29, 2022November 2, 202248.6%43.5%7.9%Kelly +5.1

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error LauraKelly (D) DerekSchmidt (R) DennisPyle (I) Other UndecidedEmerson CollegeEmerson CollegeOctober 27–29, 20221,000 (LV)± 3.0%46%43%5%2%4%49%44%5%2%–Jayhawk Consulting (D)Jayhawk Consulting (D)October 10–12, 2022500 (LV)–38%37%7%–18%Emerson CollegeEmerson CollegeSeptember 15–18, 20221,000 (LV)± 3.0%45%43%3%1%8%Echelon InsightsEchelon InsightsAugust 31 – September 7, 2022392 (LV)± 7.5%53%41%––5%Battleground Connect (R)Battleground Connect (R)August 8–10, 20221,074 (LV)± 3.0%45%48%2%–5%WPA Intelligence (R)WPA Intelligence (R)April 26–27, 2022500 (LV)± 4.4%43%47%––10%Clarity Campaign Labs (D)Clarity Campaign Labs (D)September 13–15, 2021810 (LV)± 3.5%47%44%––9%Remington Research Group (R)Remington Research Group (R)September 7–9, 20211,000 (LV)± 3.0%40%44%––16%

Debates and forums 2022 Kansas gubernatorial debates and forums Date Host Moderator Location Link Republican Democratic Libertarian Independent Participant   Absent   Non-invitee   Invitee Withdrawn Derek Schmidt Laura Kelly Seth Cordell Dennis Pyle1 September 7, 2022 Kansas Chamber of Commerce – Olathe NN2 September 10, 2022 WIBW-FM Greg Akagi Hutchinson Youtube NN3 October 5, 2022 Kansas City PBS/Johnson County Bar Association Nick Haines Overland Park Youtube NN

Results

By county