Democrat Laura Kelly defeats Republican Kris Kobach for Kansas governor

Laura Kelly handed Democrats a signifiant victory Tuesday night, defeating Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in the state's closely watched gubernatorial race.

Why it matters: Kelly, a state Senator, is the first Democrat to be elected governor of Kansas since 2009. Kobach served as the state's Secretary of State and had the backing of President Trump. He served as vice chairman of the Trump administration’s now-disbanded voter fraud commission, which was created to investigate possible voter fraud.