Holscher, Proctor and Mann lead in six Kansas races facing mandatory audits
Secretary of State Scott Schwab announced that officials will recount 10% of precincts in all counties for six contests decided by one percent or less.
By John Ferrari ·
Six Kansas races finished with margins so thin that state law now forces a manual recount. Secretary of State Scott Schwab confirmed on Wednesday that close-race audits have been triggered for these specific contests following the general election. The requirement kicks in whenever unofficial results show a gap of 1% or fewer total votes.
The process mandates that county election officials perform a hand count of ballots in 10% of precincts within each county. At a minimum, one precinct in every county must be audited for each qualifying race. This verification step ensures that the initial tallies hold up under physical inspection.
The governor's race is among the six under review. With 98% of the vote counted, Democrat Cindy Holscher holds a lead over Republican Ty Masterson by fewer than 6,000 votes. That represents a 0.6% margin. Holscher has declared victory, but the state has not yet called the race.
The Secretary of State contest is also included, with Republican Pat Proctor leading Democrat Jennifer Day by less than 11,000 votes. A 1% margin places this race squarely in audit territory. The Attorney General’s race follows the same pattern, as Democrat Chris Mann leads incumbent Republican Kris Kobach by more than 11,000 votes. Mann has claimed a win, though the official call remains pending.
Three House districts round out the list. In District 27, Democrat Sara Kiewiet leads Republican incumbent Sean E. Tarwater by just 43 votes. District 40 shows Republican incumbent David Buehler ahead of Democrat Mika Stilwell by 67 votes. In District 117, Democrat Brandon Holland leads Republican incumbent Adam Turk by 133 votes. Each of these margins falls at or below the 1% threshold.
