Aug 15, 2018

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer concedes to Kris Kobach

President Trump with Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Kansas' incumbent Republican Governor Jeff Colyer has conceded to Sec. State Kris Kobach after a razor-thin primary fight. In a press conference, Colyer said he will endorse Kobach.

  • Only two incumbent governors in Kansas have lost their bid for re-election before — the last time in 1956.

Be smart: Kobach had the best political gift for a Republican running in 2018: a Trump endorsement. But he still only narrowly beat Colyer, who's now the third Republican to lose his primary for re-election in 2018.

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Data: Associated Press; Chart: Axios Visuals

Bottom line: In the end, Trump gets what Trump wants. But there’s a limit to his power — Democrats think they can be more competitive against Kobach in the general than they would've been against Colyer.

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