When President Donald Trump threw his weight behind Ty Masterson’s bid for Kansas governor over the weekend, the longtime state lawmaker quickly capitalized on the endorsement.

The Andover Republican updated his social media bio to reflect the endorsement. He went on the radio Tuesday morning to champion the Republican president’s support. And his new online profile picture now features him standing next to Trump in the Oval Office.

“THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT,” Masterson wrote on social media shortly after the endorsement, employing Trump’s signature all-caps delivery.

The endorsement scrambled the crowded Republican field for governor and struck a major blow to Masterson’s major GOP rivals, including former Gov. Jeff Colyer, Secretary of State Scott Schwab and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt.

Support from the undisputed leader of the Republican Party instantly solidified Masterson as a front-runner in the Aug. 4 Republican primary and handed the 56-year-old Senate president a major advantage in his quest to succeed Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly.

Trump’s backing comes at a pivotal time for Kansas Republicans, who remain confident they can take back the governor’s office this year. The upcoming primary could serve as a major test of the Republican president’s influence and whether Kansas Republicans believe a Trump-backed candidate gives them the best chance at flipping the seat after eight years of Democratic control.

“Trump’s endorsement is a sure boon for Masterson and vaults him into prominence in a crowded field that features two statewide office holders and a former governor,” said Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University.

Beatty pointed specifically at Colyer, the former governor who had sought to align his campaign with Trump. Colyer, he said, will have to find a way to maneuver around the endorsement through his name recognition and financial resources.

“It’s still a very crowded field and no doubt Masterson and his allies will be making the case that one or more of the other candidates should drop out and rally behind him as the Trump pick,” Beatty said. “Seems a bit early for that, as Kansas voters don’t necessarily do what political elites tell them to do.”

Masterson’s opponents have largely remained silent on the endorsement. Other Republicans in the race include Philip Sarnecki, Charlotte O’Hara, Doug Billings, Joy Eakins and Stacy Rogers.

Sarnecki struck a balance between his support for Trump and opposition to Masterson’s legislative record in a statement to The Kansas City Star. The statement called Masterson “the living manifestation of a career politician” and vowed to defeat him in August.

“I am proud to support and stand with President Trump,” Sarnecki said. “With that said, Ty Masterson has been a disaster for Kansas.”

‘Powerful tool’

While Trump’s endorsement upended the Republican field, it was also months in the making. Masterson had built a team of top Trump allies who previously helped propel the Republican president’s reelection bid in 2024. The Washington Examiner, a conservative news outlet, reported late last year that operatives in Trump’s political orbit were launching a “coordinated push” to promote Masterson’s campaign.

Eric Pahls, a Republican consultant and adviser to Masterson’s campaign, said in an interview that Masterson intended to use the endorsement to his advantage in the Republican primary, suggesting an upcoming ad blitz that would center on Trump’s backing.

“He now has the most powerful tool in politics and intends to let people know about it,” Pahls said. “I mean, he has the trust of President Trump. President Trump, among primary voters, is extraordinarily popular.”

Trump has reaffirmed his iron grip on Republican politics in recent weeks. Trump-backed candidates in Kentucky and Texas defeated their Republican rivals in a pair of high-profile primaries and a slate of challengers ousted incumbent senators who rejected Trump’s call for a new gerrymandered congressional map in Indiana.

But Masterson’s decision to tie himself closely to Trump could be a gamble in the general election if he were to win the nomination. Republicans nationally are gearing up for a potentially torturous election cycle amid rising gas prices, war with Iran and Trump’s fledgling poll numbers.

Will it help or hurt GOP?

The Kansas Democratic Party has seized on the endorsement in an attempt to tie Masterson to some of Trump’s unpopular policies. In a statement Sunday, the party accused Republicans of turning the primary field into “a humiliating contest to see who can bow lowest to Donald Trump.”

Matt Harris, a political scientist at Park University in Parkville, said that a Trump endorsement has a major effect in Republican primaries. However, he questioned its impact in the general election.

“I think the question is, how much does a Trump endorsement maybe hurt in the general election, either because Trump is extremely unpopular among the general public or because the person he’s endorsed is maybe not the best candidate,” Harris said.

Trump-endorsed candidates have also not fared well in recent Kansas gubernatorial elections.

Trump in 2022 backed Republican Derek Schmidt, who lost to Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly by roughly two percentage points. Schmidt went on to win a race for Congress. Meanwhile, in 2018, Trump endorsed Republican Kris Kobach, who also lost to Kelly.

Still, Republicans remain confident that this is the year they can take back control of the office. Pahls, the Republican consultant, pointed to the series of recent wins for Trump across the country.

“I would say that this is clearly the most powerful weapon in politics and people can doubt that at their own peril,” he said.

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