Ty Masterson and Cindy Holscher at KS State Fair

Republican candidate Governor Ty Masterson (right) speaks to the audience next to Democratic candidate Cindy Holscher (left). The pair debated on issues asked by journalists at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.

Michael Glenn / The Kansan

Governor candidates Cindy Holscher and Ty Masterson packed the Heartland Credit Union Pavilion at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson on Sept. 12. The two talked about affordability, water shortages, and the Trump administration in the pair’s first debate ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.

Holscher, a Johnson County Democratic state senator, said the affordability issue is caused by the state giving tax breaks to the wealthy. Masterson, an Andover Republican and president of the Kansas Senate, said the state must constrain local governments’ abilities to levy property taxes.

Holscher also said underfunding special education requires local governments to make up the difference in property taxes. She added she would legalize medical and recreational cannabis to bring in more tax revenue.

“Ty and his allies don’t want to fund special education, and that burden gets shifted to the local level and makes your property taxes go up,” Holscher said. “He’s had 20 years to solve the issue, six years as senate president. He either doesn’t want to do it or doesn’t know how to.”

Crowd at KS State Fair

Supporters for gubernatorial candidates Ty Masterson and Cindy Holscher pack the Heartland Credit Union Pavilion at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.

Michael Glenn / The Kansan

Candidates spoke in a question-and-answer format with each candidate getting 90 seconds to speak. The first speaker of each question also received a 45 second rebuttal. Supporters of the candidates cheered, booed and waved signs ranging from “Cue Card Cindy” to “Masterscam” with Masterson’s face on a credit card throughout the debate. 

Masterson said his affordability plan includes a homeowners bill of rights. He added that property taxes are the only tax on an unrealized gain, and the state must work to constrain those taxes.

“One of us wants to reduce spending, go after waste, fraud and abuse. The other wants to raise your taxes,” Masterson said. “She’s for the government every time.”

Masterson did not comment on his stance on cannabis legalization.

The candidates also discussed water shortages and the impact it brings on farmers in western Kansas. Masterson said under him, more funding has been appropriated than ever before. He added that water use impacts both rural and urban communities.

“That’s not something you can appropriate based on population,” Masterson said. “The locals need to make decisions, but be accountable. You want to destroy agriculture, elect the most liberal, socialist Democrat.”

Holscher said she served on the water committee in her first term in the Kansas Legislature and would listen to farmers’ needs to address the declining Ogallala Aquifer, an underground reservoir serving several states, including much of western and central Kansas.

“We put together a great plan, but [former Governor Sam] Brownback wouldn’t fund it,” Holscher said. “[Farmers] know what’s at stake and how to address the problems. They’ve brought forward methods of irrigation, we’ve got to take that across the state.”

Holscher also said she wouldn’t put data centers across the state. While data centers can be built in Kansas, Holscher said, guardrails need to be in place prior to their construction.

“I’ve done 80 town halls in this state, and the people are worried,” Holscher said. “We can build these. We have to do it the right way. That means we have the appropriate guardrails. This all feels like the Brownback experiment again.”

Masterson said the legislature did put guardrails in place for data center construction, including ensuring the centers pay for their own electricity. 

“My position’s never changed,” Masterson said. “It is about growth and opportunity for our kids. Protecting water, land resources, making sure eminent domain can’t be used, those guardrails need to be in place.”

Holscher said AI-data companies spent close to $1 million in advertising supporting Masterson in the Republican primary for governor. Masterson said Holscher supports elitists and unelected bureaucrats who allow children to have sex reassignment surgery without parental consent. 

On the Trump administration, Holscher said she would work with the president if the deal would benefit Kansans. However, she added she would stand up to him if needed.

“I will not stand by while he tries to put our farmers out of business,” Holscher said. “I will not stand by when he hurts small businesses. Ty, he loves Trump; they love each other. He’s going to keep going down that same path. Ty’s answer, the Brownback experiment, he was the chief architect.”

Masterson said he is running to grow the state and opposed Trump’s social media post that called to stop purchasing Canadian aviation company Bombardier products. Bombardier’s American headquarters is in Wichita and employs more than a thousand people.

“My father worked in aviation in Wichita for 40 years,” Masterson said. “I am on the record saying, by the way, agreeing with the overall goal, I love the way we make things in America. I pushed back and said this isn’t the way to do it. You want to see jobs flee this state? Turn Kansas into California.”

This article was edited by Head News Editor Marissa Buffon. If the information in this article needs to be corrected, please contact marissa.buffon@ku.edu.