Kansas Governor 2026: the ads, and who's paying for them
Cindy Holscher (Democrat) and Ty Masterson (Republican) are the candidates for governor of Kansas in the November 3, 2026 general election. Semblen has analyzed 43 ads in this race; 16 used at least one manipulation technique, most often loaded language and name calling. Next date for voters: Registration deadline: Tue, Oct 13.
Cindy Holscher (DEM), Ty Masterson (REP).
On the ballot as listed by Ballotpedia. 43 ads analyzed, 16 with at least one technique in the copy.
Newest first. The paid-for-by line is the advertiser's own filing. Updated 2026-10-08.
Anyone can vote by mail; request a ballot by Tue, Oct 27 (The Tuesday of the week before the general election (K.S.A. 25-1122(f)(1)(B))); return it by Tue, Nov 3 (By statute, ballots must be received by close of polls (normally 7 pm; counties may set 6 am-8 pm hours). A court injunction may extend this to Friday Nov 6 for ballots postmarked by Election Day; the appeal is pending.)Source: sos.ks.gov ↗Source: sos.ks.gov ↗Source: ksrevisor.gov ↗
$291,700–361,038 on all ads, $113,800–141,924 on flagged ads · Meta reports ranges; these are the sums of their ends
Example
“who will fight for” — Loaded Language, paid for by AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY
· the flagged ad with the highest reported spend that shows the most common technique
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A small box with these findings and the newest ads, updated as new ads are analyzed. Free for newsrooms, blogs and campaigns alike; it links back here.
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An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Each side is the campaign plus the groups backing it. How a group is placed is explained below the table.
Side
Ads
With at least one technique
Most common
Holscher (D)
12
7 of 12 (58%)
Loaded Language (4), Name Calling (3), Appeal to Fear (2)
All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side.
Masterson (R)
14
0 of 14 (0%)
All from the campaign; no ads here from groups placed on this side.
Not placed on a side (9 sponsors)
17
9 of 17 (53%)
Loaded Language (8), Appeal to Prejudice (6), Name Calling (6)
Read this before comparing the sides. Ads that attack an opponent use these techniques far more often than ads that introduce a candidate, whoever runs them, so the side running more attack ads shows a higher share. A technique is about wording, not about whether an ad is true. These are online ads only (Meta and YouTube), not television.
How a group is placed: by its own filings with the Federal Election Commission. A group is with a candidate when it reported spending to support that candidate, or to oppose the other one in the general election. The parties' own committees are with their nominee. Spending against a candidate in a primary places a group nowhere, and neither does our reading of its ads: a group with no such filing is listed as not placed. The sponsor table gives the reason for each.
Decide what counts
Not everyone would call every technique manipulation. Untick the ones you'd call ordinary persuasion and the count updates.
37% of the 43 ads here use at least one of the techniques ticked below (16 ads).
Leaving out the softer ones (loaded language, glittering generalities, slogans, exaggeration, repetition): 33% of ads.
The words doing the work
The words that show up most in phrases our model flagged as loaded language or name calling in this race's ads, by number of ads.
agendain 3 ads· e.g. “keep his MAGA agenda out of the governor's office”, “extreme agendas”
extremein 3 ads· e.g. “extreme politics”, “extreme agendas”
lackeyin 3 ads· e.g. “MAGA lackey Ty Masterson”, “MAGA lackey”
MAGAin 3 ads· e.g. “MAGA lackey Ty Masterson”, “MAGA lackey”
politicianin 3 ads· e.g. “dishonest career politician”, “clean up the mess that the politicians have created”
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Money in this race
Candidates for governor report their fundraising to Kansas's state campaign-finance office, not the FEC. This page doesn't cover those reports yet, so it shows no money figures.
The ads
43 ads, newest first. Video transcripts are shown as the model read them, without caption cues like [music].
Showing the 4 ads paid for by Kansas United for Impartial Courts. Show all 43 ads
Paid for by Kansas United for Impartial Courtsfrom 2026-07-29 to 2026-08-0516 variantsspend $500–2,08418,900–37,984 impressions
Our opponents just dropped another six figures on TV ads in their effort to buy the Kansas Supreme Court.
They're not spending millions because they're confident they'll win. All that money is going to fund misinformation and scare tactics to stop you from voting NO on August 4th.
We’re up against Ty Masterson, Kris Kobach, and an entire machine of billionaire political donors trying to get judges in their pockets who will act as a rubber stamp for their extreme agendas. It is going to take all of us to stand up to these special interests and protect our courts.
Our election is just days away, and we need your help keeping our ads on air during the final stretch. Can you pitch in $25 to help us reach voters and deliver a win for Kansas?
Conspiracy Appeal: Implies a shadowy 'they' is spending millions with hidden, sinister motives rather than genuine confidence — suggesting coordinated manipulation — for example: They're not spending millions because they're confident they'll win
Loaded Language: Uses emotionally charged terms like 'misinformation' and 'scare tactics' to trigger a negative reaction toward the opposing side — for example: fund misinformation and scare tactics
Appeal to Fear: Warns that money is being used specifically to suppress the reader's vote, creating anxiety about being manipulated and suppressed — for example: to stop you from voting NO on August 4th
Name Calling: Ty Masterson and Kris Kobach are grouped with 'billionaire political donors' and implicitly labeled as corrupt actors without substantive argument — for example: 'We're up against Ty Masterson, Kris Kobach, and an entire machine of billionaire political donors'
Bandwagon Appeal: The phrase 'all of us' pressures collective action by implying that everyone must join together, creating a sense that conformity and mass participation are necessary — for example: 'It is going to take all of us'
Glittering Generalities: Vague, emotionally positive language like 'protect our courts' invokes noble ideals without specifying concrete actions or evidence — for example: 'protect our courts'
Conspiracy Appeal
Loaded Language
Appeal to Fear
Name Calling
Bandwagon Appeal
Glittering Generalities
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Kansas United for Impartial Courtsfrom 2026-07-24 to 2026-08-04spend $100–19910,000–14,999 impressions
Let's be clear, this is NOT about the judicial selection process. This is about billionaire political donors teaming up with Kris Kobach and Ty Masterson to force their extreme, unpopular agenda onto Kansans.
https://kansaspublicradio.org/statehouse-news/2026-06-16/how-could-electing-the-kansas-supreme-court-affect-issues-like-abortion-and-school-funding
Loaded Language: Emotionally charged words chosen to trigger a reaction rather than convey facts. — for example: extreme, unpopular agenda.
Name Calling: Derogatory labels used to discredit a person or group rather than address their arguments.
Conspiracy Appeal: The sentence implies a hidden coordinated plot between wealthy donors and politicians to secretly impose an agenda on ordinary people — a classic conspiracy framing — for example: "billionaire political donors teaming up".
Appeal to Prejudice: The framing of outside billionaires 'forcing' an agenda 'onto Kansans' invokes an in-group/out-group dynamic, positioning ordinary Kansans as victims of powerful outsiders — for example: force their extreme, unpopular agenda onto Kansans
Loaded Language
Name Calling
Conspiracy Appeal
Appeal to Prejudice
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
Paid for by Kansas United for Impartial Courtsfrom 2026-07-21 to 2026-08-04spend $100–1997,000–7,999 impressions
The language for this amendment is vague and gives Topeka politicians too much power to decide the rules. That's how Kris Kobach & Ty Masterson want it. If it passes, they get to set the rules. It's a wolf in sheep's clothing. That's why we MUST VOTE NO on August 4th.
Loaded Language: The phrase 'too much power' is emotionally charged, implying an overreach or abuse of authority without providing specific evidence — for example: too much power to decide the rules and It's a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Name Calling: Specific politicians are singled out by name to assign blame and discredit the amendment by association with them, rather than addressing the amendment's merits — for example: 'Kris Kobach & Ty Masterson'
Conspiracy Appeal: The sentence implies that named politicians have a hidden, self-serving motive behind the amendment's vague language, suggesting deliberate manipulation — for example: 'That's how Kris Kobach & Ty Masterson want it'
Appeal to Fear: The sentence warns that specific politicians will gain unchecked rule-setting power if the amendment passes, creating anxiety about a loss of democratic control — for example: 'they get to set the rules'
Black-and-White Fallacy: The sentence presents only one acceptable course of action (voting no), leaving no room for nuance or alternative positions — for example: 'we MUST VOTE NO'
Loaded Language
Name Calling
Conspiracy Appeal
Appeal to Fear
Black-and-White Fallacy
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
An email when new ads come in from either side or the outside groups: the techniques, the words doing the work, and who paid. And each debate's analysis the morning after. One-click unsubscribe.
Paid for by Kansas United for Impartial Courtsfrom 2026-07-17 to 2026-08-02spend $100–19915,000–19,999 impressions
Billionaire political donors and their lackeys — like Ty Masterson and Kris Kobach — want to overturn the voices of Kansans and the rights we voted to uphold in 2022. Vote NO on August 4th to fight back.
Name Calling: The word 'lackeys' is a derogatory label used to discredit Masterson and Kobach rather than address their arguments — for example: 'their lackeys'
Loaded Language: The term 'lackeys' is emotionally charged and designed to trigger contempt rather than convey factual information — for example: 'lackeys'
Appeal to Prejudice: The framing invokes in-group identity by contrasting 'Kansans' and 'the rights we voted to uphold' against outside billionaire donors, implying the named individuals are enemies of the people — for example: 'the voices of Kansans'
Scapegoating: Billionaire political donors are singled out as the cause of the threat to Kansans' rights, reducing a complex political situation to a single villainous group — for example: 'Billionaire political donors and their lackeys'
Appeal to Fear: The phrase 'fight back' implies an ongoing attack on voters' rights that demands an urgent defensive response, creating anxiety to drive action — for example: 'to fight back'
Name Calling
Loaded Language
Appeal to Prejudice
Scapegoating
Appeal to Fear
Looks up the ad's factual claims in fact-checkers, primary sources and wire reporting. Takes up to a minute.
An ad is on this page because its own "Paid for by" line is a campaign in this race; or it ran mostly in KS and names a nominee for governor — unless its sponsor is a campaign for some other office (a U.S. Senate or House campaign included), or it also names KS's Senate nominees, in which case it is on the Senate race's page. Ads from outside groups appear alongside the campaigns' own.
The candidates are the ones certified for the November ballot, from the source linked at the top. Governors are state offices, so there are no FEC filings behind this page: no money figures, and outside groups are placed on a side only when they are a campaign or a party committee.
Campaigns run one text as many separate ads. Identical text from the same sponsor is one card here, marked with its number of variants.
A technique is a specific manipulative move in the wording, found by our model and explained in one line. It is not a claim that the ad is false.
Claims are checked when a reader asks: press "Check this ad's claims" on a card. The check runs once and its result is shown to everyone afterwards. The ten ads with the most money behind them in each race are checked ahead of time.
Claim verdicts say what the cited sources say. A verdict that an ad is wrong or misleading is shown only when it cites an established fact-checker or an institutional record — Congress, a federal agency, a court — and its confidence is not low; a weaker one is not shown at all. Each verdict shows what it rests on and how confident it is. If we got one wrong, press Disagree: a verdict that readers dispute and no one defends comes down.
Video ads come from the campaigns' own YouTube channels; the transcript is analyzed. Meta ads are analyzed on their text; their video and images are not, yet.
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