Trump’s Kansas attack omits Kelly’s endorsement of Holscher

Donald Trump’s attack on Cindy Holscher in the Kansas governor’s race cites Laura Kelly’s earlier criticism, but leaves out that the Democratic governor later endorsed her. [1] [8] [9]

In a Truth Social post dated 19 October 2026 and preserved by the Trump’s Truth archive, the president urged voters to elect Republican Ty Masterson and wrote: “Even Laura Kelly said Holscher is too extreme.” The election is on 3 November, with advance voting allowed to begin under the state calendar on 14 October. [1] [6]

Kelly’s criticism came during the contest for the Democratic nomination, when she was backing Ethan Corson. In a Kansas City Star interview report published on 10 July and republished by AOL, she warned that Kansas would not elect “an extremist on the left wing this year”. Holscher rejected the characterisation, saying her priorities “align with mainstream Kansans”. [8]

In an endorsement reported by WIBW on 5 August, however, Kelly asked Kansans of all parties to support Holscher. Holscher welcomed the backing and pledged to campaign alongside her. Trump’s reference to the earlier criticism has a historical basis, but omitting the endorsement gives a misleading picture of Kelly’s general-election stance. [9]

What the votes show

Trump also accuses Holscher of supporting higher property taxes, without identifying a bill. A September examination of similar campaign adverts by local broadcaster KWCH traced one attack to her opposition to a 2021 measure establishing Kansas’s revenue-neutral-rate process. [1] [10]

On 11 March 2021, Holscher voted against accepting amendments to SB 13, while Masterson voted in favour. The measure required notices and public hearings before local authorities could exceed their revenue-neutral property-tax rate. It also discontinued an existing city and county tax cap. [2]

A separate vote on 25 February 2026 shows Holscher opposing SCR 1616, a proposed constitutional limit on increases in assessed property values. KWCH also reported her opposition to a failed proposal for a 3% property-valuation cap. Holscher argued that proposal would raise taxes on homes otherwise facing no increase. [3] [10]

Those are substantive disagreements over tax policy. Opposition to those measures does not, by itself, establish Trump’s charge that she supported raising property taxes.

Other parts of the attack have a clearer basis in recorded votes. On 5 April 2023, Holscher voted against overriding the veto of HB 2238, a measure restricting female student sports teams to members described as “biologically female”. Masterson supported the override, which the Senate approved by 28 votes to 12. That documents a real policy division over transgender participation in sport. [4]

On 17 February 2026, Holscher also opposed overriding a veto of SB 244, which required shared private spaces in public buildings to be designated for use by one sex. Masterson backed the override. The package included criminal and civil penalties and rules for invalidating and reissuing driving licences and birth certificates. The vote was therefore on a wider package, not solely on locker-room access. [5]

Trump names no legislation for his accusation that Holscher supported “stripping Parents of their Parental Rights”. One relevant dispute appears in a 2022 Kansas Reflector report, republished by Patch: Holscher opposed SB 496, which proposed putting parental rights, including advance review of curriculum materials, into state law. Opposition to that proposal does not, on its own, establish support for taking existing rights away. [1] [11]

The allegations about Jesus and Newsom

Trump says Holscher declared that Jesus “was gay and transgender”. A second-hand account of a 2023 social-media exchange gives different wording. New Conservative Post, explicitly citing the Washington Examiner, quotes her as saying: “I have no idea if Jesus was trans, gay, straight, etc.” On that reported wording, she expressed uncertainty rather than making the affirmative assertion Trump attributes to her. [1] [12]

Trump also says California Governor Gavin Newsom would be Holscher’s role model. A related attack appears in Roll Call’s transcript of JD Vance’s 14 September 2026 speech in Olathe: Vance claimed Holscher said Kansas should learn from the “California model” and called her a Newsom “super fan”. That is another opponent’s attribution, not Holscher’s own account of her plans. [1] [7]

Even if the alleged admiration were accurately reported, it would not establish that electing Holscher would cause the homelessness, corruption, high crime and high costs Trump invokes. His post offers an association with Newsom, not a policy link demonstrating why those consequences would follow in Kansas. [1]