{"id":100975,"date":"2026-11-06T12:29:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T18:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=100975"},"modified":"2026-11-06T11:30:15","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T17:30:15","slug":"party-lines-hold-in-ellis-county-while-kansas-goes-blue-in-senate-governor-and-attorney-general-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tigermedianet.com\/?p=100975","title":{"rendered":"Party lines hold in Ellis County while Kansas goes blue in Senate, Governor and Attorney General races"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By ARLENE MALDONADO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tiger Media Network<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Election Day has come to an end as voters across Hays and Ellis County made decisions on candidates, a constitutional amendment, and several state and local races. With the polls closed and unofficial results in, the results provide a look at how voters in the Hays area responded to the major issues and candidates on the 2026 ballot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellis County recorded 10,721 ballots in the November 3 general election, representing about 51.5% of the county’s 20,815 registered voters. The results remain unofficial, with provisional ballots still needing to be counted and the county canvass still to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had a lot of people come in and give out their votes,\u201d said Alyssa Cole, who helped arrange the ballots at the Messiah Lutheran Church. \u201c Everyone came out today to give out their votes and thoughts as to who they believe in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the most closely watched local races was the Kansas House District 111 contest between Republican incumbent Barb Wasinger and Democratic challenger Melanie McMillan. Wasinger won the Ellis County vote with 5,349 votes, or about 63.5%, while McMillan received 3,057 votes, or about 36.3%. The result keeps Republican representation in the district for another term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The local results also followed a broader pattern in Ellis County. Republican candidates received the most votes in each of the major contested federal and statewide races in the county. In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Roger Marshall received 6,463 votes in Ellis County, while Democrat Adam Hamilton received 3,842. Republican Tracey Mann also received 67.6% of the Ellis County vote in the U.S. House race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cVotes varied between what happened here today at VFW Hall, and I\u2019m content to know that the people appreciate and take serious consideration as to who to choose,\u201d said Jordan Wells, a poll worker at VFW Hall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the results in Ellis County did not completely reflect the statewide picture. Democrats performed strongly enough across Kansas to change the political balance in several statewide races. Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall for a U.S. Senate seat, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cindy Holscher holds a narrow lead over Republican Ty Masterson. Another close statewide race was for attorney general, where Democrat Chris Mann defeated Republican incumbent Kris Kobach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That contrast between local and statewide voting is one of the notable parts of this year’s election. While Hays and Ellis County continued to favor Republican candidates, voters in other parts of Kansas helped make the statewide races much more competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For residents of Hays, the election results could matter beyond political party labels. The officials elected Tuesday will make decisions involving education, transportation, agriculture, healthcare and other issues that affect western Kansas communities. Those decisions can eventually reach local schools, businesses, families and public services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The election also included a constitutional amendment concerning voter citizenship. Ellis County voters approved the amendment by a margin of 73.2% to 26.8%. The measure was one of the other major questions placed before voters in the county. The amendment passed at the state level 64% to 36%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the results move from election night toward certification, some questions remain unanswered. About 175 provisional ballots were still outstanding in Ellis County, though they are not expected to change the outcome of local or statewide races. The ballots will still need to be reviewed before the county can certify its results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The close governor and attorney general races also mean additional auditing will take place across Kansas to ensure the final results are accurate. Currently, Holscher leads Masterson by just over 7,000 votes, while Mann leads Kobach by nearly 13,000 votes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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