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Kansas Secretary of State election, 2018 (August 7 Democratic primary)

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Kansas Secretary of State
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: June 1, 2018
Primary: August 7, 2018
General: November 6, 2018
Pre-election incumbent(s):
Kris Kobach (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Voting in Kansas
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Kansas
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Insurance commissioner
State board of education

A Democratic Party primary election took place on August 7, 2018, in Kansas to determine which candidate would run as the party's nominee in the state's November 6, 2018, secretary of state election.

For more information about secretary of state elections in 2018, click here.


SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting secretary of state was Kris Kobach (R), who was first elected in 2010 and was re-elected in 2014. Kobach announced on June 17, 2017, that he would run for governor rather than seek a third term in 2018.
  • In 2018, Kansas was under a Republican trifecta. It had held this status since Gov. Sam Brownback (R) took office in 2011. Kansas was also under a Republican triplex.
  • In presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kansas was won by the Republican candidate. The widest margin of victory was George W. Bush's 25 percent margin in 2004 while the narrowest was John McCain's 15 percent margin in 2008.

    • Candidates and election results

    Brian McClendon advanced from the Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State on August 7, 2018.

    Democratic primary election
    Democratic primary for Kansas Secretary of State

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    ✔
    Image of Brian McClendon
    		Brian McClendon Candidate Connection
     
    100.0
     
    		139,457

    There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

    		Total votes: 139,457
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

    Context of the 2018 election

    Past elections

    2014

    See also: Kansas secretary of state election, 2014

    Jean Schodorf was unopposed in the 2014 Democratic primary election.[1]

    Voter information

    How the primary works

    A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. In Kansas, parties decide who may vote in their primaries. As of September 2025, the Democratic Party held an open primary and the Republican Party held a closed primary. Regardless of the party's rules, an unaffiliated voter can declare their affiliation with a party on the day of the primary and vote in that party's primary. Previously affiliated voters who want to change their affiliation to vote in a different party's primary must do so before the candidate filing deadline, which is June 1 or the next business day.[2][3]

    For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

    Poll times

    Unless otherwise set by the county, polls in Kansas open at 7:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Central time (6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Mountain time). Counties are given the discretion to open polls as early as 6 a.m. and close polls as late as 8 p.m. Central time (5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain time). Polls must be open for a minimum of 12 consecutive hours and may not close before 7 p.m. Central time (6 p.m. Mountain time).[4] An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[5]

    Registration requirements

    Check your voter registration status here.

    To vote in Kansas, one must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of Kansas. In order to register, an individual must be least 18 years old before the next election. Voters must register at least 21 days prior to Election Day. Registration can be done by completing and returning an application, either in person or by mail. Registration may also be completed online.[6]

    On June 18, 2018, a federal judge struck down a Kansas law requiring citizens to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote. A federal appeals court subsequently affirmed that decision. For more information, see below.

    Automatic registration

    Kansas does not practice automatic voter registration.

    Online registration

    See also: Online voter registration

    Kansas has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website.

    Same-day registration

    Kansas does not allow same-day voter registration.

    Residency requirements

    To register to vote in Kansas, you must be a resident of the state. State law does not specify a length of time for which you must have been a resident to be eligible.

    Verification of citizenship

    See also: Laws permitting noncitizens to vote in the United States

    Kansas does not require voters to provide proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote. According to the state's voter registration application, an applicant who provides false information "may be convicted and sentenced to up to 17 months in prison."[7]

    A Kansas state law that went into effect in 2013 required voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. However, the provision was challenged in court and on June 18, 2018, Judge Julie Robinson, of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, struck down the proof of citizenship requirement and ordered Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R) to stop enforcing the rule. On June 20, 2018, Kobach’s office advised county clerks to comply with Robinson’s order. Kobach appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which heard oral arguments on March 18, 2019. On April 29, 2020, a Tenth Circuit panel affirmed the district court's ruling.[8][9][10][11]

    All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[12] Seven states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, New Hampshire, and Wyoming — have laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration, whether in effect or not. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allows noncitizens to vote in some local elections. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters.

    Verifying your registration

    The site Voter View, run by the Kansas Secretary of State office, allows residents to check their voter registration status online.

    Voter ID requirements

    Kansas requires voters to present photo identification while voting.[13]

    Voters can present the following forms of identification:

    • Driver's license or nondriver's identification card issued by Kansas or by another state or district of the United States
    • Concealed carry of handgun license issued by Kansas or a concealed carry of handgun or weapon license issued by another state or district of the United States
    • United States passport
    • Employee badge or identification document issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
    • Military identification document issued by the United States
    • Student identification card issued by an accredited postsecondary institution of education in the state of Kansas
    • Public assistance identification card issued by a municipal, county, state, or federal government office
    • Identification card issued by an Indian tribe

    A photo ID does not need to have an expiration date, but, if it does have an expiration date, it must not have expired at the time of voting. If the voter is over the age of 65, he or she can use an expired ID.[13]

    The following voters are exempt from providing photo ID:[13]

    • Military and overseas citizens who vote under the federal Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA)
    • Voters who vote in mail ballot elections, which are limited to local jurisdictions holding special question-submitted elections
    • Voters who are accepted to the permanent advance voting list
    • Any voter who objects to having his or her photo taken because of his or her religious beliefs. The voter can complete and sign the Declaration of Religious Objection form.

    Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain one for free through the Division of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue. The voter must provide proof of identity and proof of residence. The voter must also sign an affidavit. Voters can access the Certification Requesting Fee Waiver for Nondriver Identification Card form at all driver's license offices, county election offices, and on the secretary of state's website. If a voter does not have the proper documents to obtain a nondriver ID card, he or she can obtain a Kansas birth certificate from the Kansas Office of Vital Statistics for free. Voters can also apply for a free State Voter Identification Document. Voters should contact the election division of the secretary of state's office at election@sos.ks.gov or (800) 262-VOTE to apply.[13]

    Early voting

    Kansas permits early voting. Learn more by visiting this website.

    Early voting permits citizens to cast ballots in person at a polling place prior to an election. In states that permit no-excuse early voting, a voter does not have to provide an excuse for being unable to vote on Election Day. States that allow voters to cast no-excuse absentee/mail-in ballots in person are counted as no-excuse early voting states.

    Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia permit no-excuse early voting.

    Absentee voting

    All voters are eligible to vote absentee in Kansas. There are no special eligibility requirements for voting absentee. An absentee ballot application must be received by the Tuesday prior to the election. Kansas refers to absentee voting as "advance voting."[14]


    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Kansas heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    Republicans controlled both chambers of the Kansas State Legislature. They had a 85-40 majority in the state House and a 30-9 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • Kansas had a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Jeff Colyer served as governor; he succeeded Sam Brownback, who left office in January 2018 after being appointed ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom by Pres. Donald Trump.

    2018 elections

    See also: Kansas elections, 2018

    Kansas held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Kansas
     KansasU.S.
    Total population:2,906,721316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):81,7593,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:85.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:5.8%12.6%
    Asian:2.6%5.1%
    Native American:0.8%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:3.3%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:11.2%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:90.2%86.7%
    College graduation rate:31%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$52,205$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:15%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Kansas.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, Kansas' three largest cities were Wichita (pop. est. 390,000), Overland Park (pop. est. 190,000), and Kansas City (pop. est. 150,000).[15]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Kansas from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Kansas Secretary of State.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Kansas every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), Kansas 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 56.6% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 36.0% 20.6%
    2012 Republican Party Mitt Romney 59.7% Democratic Party Barack Obama 37.9% 21.8%
    2008 Republican Party John McCain 56.6% Democratic Party Barack Obama 41.6% 15.0%
    2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 62.0% Democratic Party John Kerry 36.6% 25.4%
    2000 Republican Party George W. Bush 58.0% Democratic Party Al Gore 37.2% 20.8%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Kansas from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), Kansas 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Jerry Moran 62.1% Democratic Party Patrick Wiesner 32.2% 29.9%
    2014 Republican Party Pat Roberts 53.1% Grey.png Greg Orman 42.5% 10.6%
    2010 Republican Party Jerry Moran 70.0% Democratic Party Lisa Johnston 26.3% 43.7%
    2008 Republican Party Pat Roberts 60.0% Democratic Party Jim Slattery 36.4% 23.6%
    2004 Republican Party Sam Brownback 69.1% Democratic Party Lee Jones 27.4% 41.7%
    2002 Republican Party Pat Roberts 82.5% Libertarian Party Steven Rosile 9.1% 73.4%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Kansas.

    Election results (Governor), Kansas 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Republican Party Sam Brownback 49.8% Democratic Party Paul Davis 46.1% 3.7%
    2010 Republican Party Sam Brownback 63.2% Democratic Party Tom Holland 32.2% 31.0%
    2006 Democratic Party Kathleen Sebelius 57.9% Republican Party Jim Barnett 40.4% 17.5%
    2002 Democratic Party Kathleen Sebelius 52.9% Republican Party Tim Shallenburger 45.1% 7.8%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Kansas in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, Kansas 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 4 100% Democratic Party 0 0% R+4
    2014 Republican Party 4 100% Democratic Party 0 0% R+4
    2012 Republican Party 4 100% Democratic Party 0 0% R+4
    2010 Republican Party 4 100% Democratic Party 0 0% R+4
    2008 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+3
    2006 Republican Party 2 50.0% Democratic Party 2 50.0% Split
    2004 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+3
    2002 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+3
    2000 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+3

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    Kansas Party Control: 1992-2025
    No Democratic trifectas  •  Sixteen years of Republican trifectas

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D
    Senate R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    House D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    There are no Pivot Counties in Kansas. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Kansas with 56.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 36.1 percent. In presidential elections between 1864 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican 84.21 percent of the time and Democratic 15.78 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Kansas voted Republican all five times.[16]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Kansas. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[17][18]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 29 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 21.8 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 34 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 20.9 points. Clinton won six districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 96 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 32.8 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 91 out of 125 state House districts in Kansas with an average margin of victory of 35.5 points. Trump won 11 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


    See also

    Kansas government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "2014 Primary Election Official Vote Totals," accessed September 29, 2017
    2. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25–3301," accessed September 12, 2025
    3. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "Kan. Stat. Ann. § 25–3304," accessed September 12, 2025
    4. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, "25-106. Hours of voting; change of hours, how made; rules and regulations," accessed November 4, 2024
    5. ↑ State of Kansas Secretary of State, “Frequently Asked Questions” accessed July 25, 2024
    6. ↑ Kansas Office of the Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Instructions," accessed July 25, 2024
    7. ↑ Kansas Secretary of State, "Kansas Voter Registration Application," accessed November 1, 2024
    8. ↑ United States District Court for the District of Kansas, "Fish v. Kobach and Bednasek v. Kobach: Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law," June 18, 2018
    9. ↑ The Topeka Capital-Journal, "Kobach's office tells counties to stop asking for proof of citizenship," June 20, 2018
    10. ↑ AP News, "Kansas hopes to resurrect proof-of-citizenship voting law," March 18, 2019
    11. ↑ United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, "Fish v. Schwab: Opinion and Order," April 29, 2020
    12. ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
    13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 Kansas Secretary of State, "Elections - FAQ," accessed July 25, 2024
    14. ↑ Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes, “K.S.A. 25-1122” accessed July 25, 2024
    15. ↑ Kansas Demographics, "Kansas Cities by Population," accessed September 4, 2018
    16. ↑ 270towin.com, "Kansas," accessed June 1, 2017
    17. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
    18. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
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