FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2026
Contact:
Hans Torgerson
hans@kansasdems.org
KANSAS GOP GOVERNOR FIELD: A PARTY OF NO-SHOWS
Masterson skipped tonight's debate, Schmidt skips them all, and Sarnecki skips voting in elections
TOPEKA — Senate President and Republican candidate for governor Ty Masterson skipped tonight's final GOP gubernatorial debate, ducking voters as questions swirl around a shady, million-dollar job he's held for a decade.
The Star's reporting found Masterson has collected more than $1.1 million over the past decade from the Koch-backed GoCreate program at Wichita State, nearly double his Senate salary year over year. When a reporter visited GoCreate, Masterson wasn't there, the front desk didn't recognize him, and WSU couldn't produce his employment contract.
Even Masterson's own Republican rivals aren't buying it. GOP rival Philip Sarnecki has hammered him all week:
Says Masterson admitted his DC consultants pushed him to skip debates after a shaky last performance.
Called the no-show "insulting to Kansas voters" who deserve answers on his record.
Says GoCreate staff "can't put a face to a name" to Masterson, calling it a "no show job."
Sarnecki is quick to call Masterson a "no show," but a Kansas Reflector investigation found Sarnecki has his own no-show problem at the ballot box. He badly inflated his voting history, telling a Leawood fundraiser he'd missed only two primaries in 20 years and no general elections. State records say otherwise:
He actually missed five primaries — 2012, 2014, 2016, 2022 and 2024 — plus the 2012 general election.
The biggest gap: he skipped the August 2022 primary that decided the "Value Them Both" amendment, which could have stripped reproductive rights from the Kansas Constitution.
Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt has skipped every GOP debate this cycle, refusing to pay the state party's $10,000 entry fee.
Statement from Hans Torgerson, spokesperson for the Kansas Democratic Party:
"This Republican primary has turned into a parade of no-shows and phonies, and Kansans are the ones paying the price. Masterson had one job tonight, to finally answer for the fake job nobody can explain, and instead he ran and hid. Meanwhile, Sarnecki lectures him about no-shows while hiding an inflated voting record of his own. Kansans deserve candidates who tell the truth and actually show up when it counts. No matter who wins this messy primary, it’s clear Kansans can’t trust them."
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