The Republican primary for governor will be the latest test of President Donald Trump’s influence in Republican primaries this year. He has endorsed state Senate President Ty Masterson over former state Rep. Charlotte O’Hara, financial services executive Philip Sarnecki, state Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt and Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab . The state’s two most heavily Democratic counties, Douglas and Wyandotte, tend to be more influential in Democratic primaries than in Republican primaries. About 463,000 Republican primary votes and about 289,000 Democratic primary votes were cast in the 2022 primaries for governor. About 45% of the Democratic primary vote and about 28% of the Republican primary vote in the 2024 state primaries was cast early in-person or by mail.