President of the Kansas Senate (District 16, Andover)

Ty Masterson, a Republican from Andover, was appointed to the Kansas House in 2005, has served in the Kansas Senate since 2009 and has been Senate President since 2021¹². He won the August 4, 2026 Republican primary for governor with 43.2 percent of the vote in a field of seven, and is on the November 3 ballot with running mate Jeffrey Klemp²³. His home-building company did not survive the 2008 recession, and he directs GoCreate, a community workshop at Wichita State University, on leave during the campaign².

Where they stand 20 issues · tap any issue for the evidence

• Transgender athletesNo, teams should be based on biological sex, with open or coed optionshigh

  Voted · high confidence

  • His campaign site says Kansas has banned men from competing in women's sports. (2026-08-31) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2238, the Fairness in Women's Sports Act, setting female school teams by biological sex (Senate 28 to 12), and to override the governor's veto. (2023-04-05) source
• Gender care for minorsNo, ban these treatments for minorsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • His campaign site says Kansas has ended transgender surgeries for minors. (2026-08-31) source
  • Voted yes on SB 63, the Help Not Harm Act banning gender transition care for minors (Senate 32 to 8), and to override the governor's veto (31 to 9). (2025-01-29) source
• DEI programsKeep support open to all, but end race or sex preferences and required statementsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • His campaign site says Kansas has stopped DEI policies in its higher education system. (2026-08-31) source
  • Voted yes on the conference report for HB 2105 (2024), which bars public colleges from requiring diversity, equity or inclusion statements or pledges and requires them to post training materials (Senate 28 to 11). The earlier 34 to 6 Senate vote was on a different version of the bill (earned wage access), so it is not cited. (2024-04-05) source
• School choiceYes, but focused on low-income and special-needs studentsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • He told Kansas Reflector he supports using state tax dollars to support private schools so students can leave underperforming schools; the article reports no limits. (2026-09-14) source
  • Voted yes on the low-income student scholarship tax credit expansion: SB 83 (2023) and SB 87 (Senate 24 to 16). (2025-02-19) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2468 and SB 361 (2026), which join the federal scholarship tax credit. (2026-03-10) source
• MarijuanaKeep it illegalmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • On KCTV5, asked whether he would push for legalization of any form, he said he certainly would not and that he expects research to show it is not the cure its backers claim. (2026-07-16) source
• GunsRemove most restrictions; bearing arms is a rightmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Original cosponsor (one of many named sponsors, led by Sen. J.R. Claeys) of SCR 1618 (2023) and SCR 1610 (2025), a constitutional amendment making the right to bear arms a fundamental right, covering ammunition and accessories, with strict scrutiny for any limit. (2025) source
• Ranked-choice votingNo, ban ranked-choice voting in all electionsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 6 (2025), which bans ranked-choice voting in Kansas elections (Senate 29 to 10). (2025-02-05) source
• Campaign financeRaise or remove contribution limits and protect donors' privacymedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2054 (2025), which raises campaign contribution limits and removes party-to-candidate limits in general elections (Senate 21 to 17; conference report 26 to 14). (2025-03-27) source
• Election rulesStrict photo ID, paper ballots, cleaner voter rolls and fewer mail ballotsmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 4 (2025), which ends the mail ballot grace period (Senate 30 to 10), and on the SAVE Kansas Act, HB 2437 (2026), which expands voter roll checks and limits registration websites (Senate 32 to 8). (2026-03-19) source
  • His campaign site says the Senate has preserved the integrity of elections with commonsense measures to protect the ballot box. (2026-08-31) source
• Kids onlineRequire app stores and platforms to verify age and get parental consentmedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 372, the App Store Accountability Act requiring age verification and parental consent for minors (Senate 34 to 6). (2026-02-18) source
• Childcare and pre-KHelp through tax credits, employer incentives, and parent choicemedium

  Voted · medium confidence

  • Voted yes on SB 521, which gives income tax credits for employee child care costs and employer contributions that expand child care (Senate 34 to 6). (2026-03-19) source
• Housing and growthAllow townhomes and apartments in more places to bring prices downmedium

  Official action · medium confidence

  • Named sponsor of SB 418 (with Sen. TJ Rose), the By-right Housing Development Act, which approves townhouses, accessory dwelling units and homes that meet existing zoning without discretionary review. (2026) source
  • On KCTV5 he said first-time home buyers are now over 40, that this robs young people of homeownership, and that he is going after housing costs, taxes and fuel costs. (2026-07-15) source
• Policing and crimeTougher sentences, more police funding, and stricter bailmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His campaign site says he will stand with law enforcement, back tough on crime policies and ensure police are funded. (2026-08-31) source
• Business regulationCut red tape, but keep core safety and environmental rulesmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • His campaign site says he wants lower taxes and fewer regulations; on KCTV5 he said Kansas must cut taxes and deregulate. (2026-08-31) source
  • His home page says he will bring back jobs, cut red tape and make Kansas open for business again. (2026-08-31) source
• Energy and climateMaximize oil and gas; climate rules hurt the economymedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • On KCTV5 he said he is likely to be the most oil and gas friendly governor Kansas has seen and called ethanol a key market. (2026-07-15) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2783 (2024), which bars state and local agencies from limiting vehicles by their energy source (Senate 29 to 9). (2024-03-21) source
• Curriculum and booksParents, including the right to remove material they object tolow

  Voted · low confidence

  • His campaign site says that as governor he will make sure parents have a say in their kids' education. (2026-08-31) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2236 (2023), which establishes parents' right to direct their children's education, including a right to object to harmful and inappropriate educational materials (Senate 23 to 17). (2023-03-28) source
• AbortionIllegal, except to save the mother's life or in cases of rape or incestlow

  Said · low confidence

  • On KCTV5 he said abortion is an "80-20 issue," that 80 percent do not want late-term or taxpayer-funded abortions and want fewer abortions, and called unrestricted abortion at all times the extreme view. (2026-07-17) source
  • Kansas Reflector reports he supported the 2022 constitutional amendment on abortion that voters rejected. (2026-09-14) source
  • Voted yes on HB 2313, the born-alive infants protection act (Senate 31 to 9). (2023-04-26) source
• ImmigrationSecure the border first; deport those with criminal records; keep legal immigration steadylow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on SCR 1602 (2025), a resolution urging the governor to cooperate fully with federal immigration enforcement (Senate 31 to 9). (2025-01-29) source
• Safety net programsKeep them, but add work requirements for able-bodied adultslow

  Voted · low confidence

  • Voted yes on HB 2094 (2023), which requires SNAP recipients ages 50 to 59 to complete an employment and training program (Senate 26 to 12). (2023-04-06) source
• HealthcareNo single answer fitsmedium

  Said · medium confidence

  • On KCTV5 he said Medicaid expansion did not save rural hospitals and displaced disabled people, and that Kansas should rebuild rural care around a "hub and spoke" system using federal rural health money. (2026-07-15) source

No public position found on: Minimum wage, Judges, Politicians trading stocks, Redistricting, Electoral College, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Drug prices, Paid leave, Student loans, AI regulation, School vaccines, Nuclear power, E-Verify mandate, Religion in schools, China policy.