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Matthew Kelly

@bymatthewkelly.bsky.social
538 followers 56 following 262 posts

Reporter covering Kansas state government for The Kansas City Star & The Wichita Eagle, mkelly@kcstar.com for tips, he/they

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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
After previously declining an invitation on the grounds that Republican incumbent Roger Marshall didn’t qualify to participate, the Rev. Adam Hamilton on Monday evening agreed to a televised debate hosted by Nexstar Media Group in early October.
kansascity.com
Masterson says he won’t debate again. Will KS voters get another Senate showdown?
So far, voters’ only opportunity to size up the candidates on the same stage came during the boisterous Kansas State Fair forums.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
(Gift link) “This is the end of a nightmare and the beginning of a long road back — rebuilding our life and going through her immigration case the way it should always have gone, with due process,” said Dmitry Shyshov, Katsiaryna Bartko’s partner. “But now she will go through it in safety.”
kansascity.com
Cancer survivor, pro-democracy activist released by ICE after 4th hospitalization
Katsiarina Bartko’s partner said her release from ICE custody represents “the end of a nightmare and the beginning of a long road back.”
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On Monday, JD Vance reiterated his stance that American manufacturers are getting a raw deal in Canada compared to other countries. He did not respond directly to a question about what the Trump administration plans to do to mitigate economic hardship brought on by the trade war.
kansascity.com
Vance defends Trump’s Canadian trade war that could have outsized impact on KC
“If they’re going to mistreat American workers then it’s incumbent upon the president of the United States to fight back,” Vance said.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
“I think it’s a fundamental affront to the idea that every single person is entitled to cast their ballot as they see fit,” Vance said. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Vance calls court’s decision to block MO map ‘affront to the Democratic process’
“I think it’s a fundamental affront to the idea that every single person is entitled to cast their ballot as they see fit,” Vance said.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Kansas’ junior Republican senator repeatedly found himself on the defensive as he navigated questions about the Trump administration’s controversial foreign policy agenda and tariff regime in front of a boisterous crowd. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Sen. Marshall contends with Hamilton-friendly crowd at Kansas State Fair debate
Marshall found himself on the defensive as he navigated questions about Trump’s controversial foreign policy agenda and tariff regime.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Kansas voters’ two choices for governor spent Saturday morning clashing over the issues and trading vitriolic personal attacks during a debate at the state fairgrounds in Hutchinson. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Masterson, Holscher land blows in first face-to-face Kansas gubernatorial debate
Kansas voters’ two choices for governor spent Saturday morning clashing over the issues and trading vitriolic personal attacks during a debate at the state fairgrounds.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Healthcare expenses are the number-one cause of bankruptcies in the U.S. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Sen. Marshall faces backlash over ‘unbelievably aggressive’ lawsuits against patients
Healthcare expenses are the number-one cause of U.S. bankruptcies. A report found Marshall sued more than 700 patients over unpaid bills.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Bombardier’s Wichita workforce primarily focuses on defense work, including preparing Canadian-manufactured planes for the U.S. Air Force.
kansas.com
Wichita is home to Bombardier’s U.S. headquarters. Trump wants to block plane sales
Bombardier’s Wichita workforce primarily focuses on defense work, including preparing Canadian-manufactured planes for the U.S. Air Force.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Kansas governor hopeful Ty Masterson is trying out a new look on his campaign website and social media. The refresh is decidedly less Trump-centric than a month ago. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Trump branding disappeared from Masterson’s campaign after post-primary refresh
Ty Masterson’s campaign says he’s still proud of the endorsement that propelled him to the GOP nomination. His critics see a weakness.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
A high-stakes court case challenging the constitutionality of Kansas abortion restrictions should be retried, the AG’s office argued in a new filing. The question is whether the filing was made in time for a judge to weigh it on its merits or if Kris Kobach’s office missed a key deadline.
kansascity.com
Procedural misstep by Kobach’s office complicates bid for abortion case retrial
A district court clerk initially rejected the retrial filing, citing improperly formatted exhibits. The correction came after a deadline.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
The Kansas attorney general said America’s approach to birthright citizenship makes the country “an outlier in the world.” www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kobach blasts ‘weakly reasoned’ birthright citizenship ruling; pitches workaround
The Kansas attorney general said America’s approach to birthright citizenship makes the county “an outlier in the world.”
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
(Gift link) Katsiaryna Bartko alleges life-sustaining medication was confiscated and withheld from her in ICE custody, ratcheting up her risk of slipping into a coma due to extreme hormone deficiency. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Cancer survivor, pro-democracy activist could die in Kansas ICE prison, supporters say
Katsiaryna Bartko alleges life-sustaining medication was withheld from her in ICE custody, ratcheting up risk of hormone deficiency coma.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The KC area exports about $4 billion in goods to Canada annually, including vehicles, plastics, chemicals and agricultural products. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Trump’s escalating trade war with Canada could hit Kansas City especially hard
The KC metro area exports about $4 billion in goods to Canada annually, including vehicles, plastics, chemicals and agricultural products.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
More than a year and a half after the crash that shocked Kansas and the nation, families of the 67 victims are still waiting for accountability. Story w/ @kacen.bsky.social www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
After ‘wholly avoidable’ Wichita-DC crash, safety reforms stall. Will Congress act?
More than a year and a half after the deadly midair collision, families of the 67 victims are still waiting for safety regulations.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Marshall is attempting to sell off the hurricane-battered three-bed, two-bath house in Sarasota that has emerged as a possible political liability. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Marshall spent more time, taxpayer money near Florida property. It’s up for sale
Marshall is attempting to sell off the hurricane-battered three-bed, two-bath house that has emerged as a possible political liability.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
The daughter of Kansas political royalty was the only woman in the U.S. Senate for her first two years on the job. But Kassebaum was more than just a pioneer. Over the course of her 18 years in office, the moderate Republican developed a reputation as an independent thinker with firm convictions.
kansascity.com
Kansas trailblazer and political legend Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker dead at 94
The daughter of Kansas political royalty was the only woman in the U.S. Senate for her first two years on the job.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Ty Masterson and Cindy Holscher are competing for independent voters’ support in Kansas’ first gubernatorial contest without any independent or third-party candidates in 32 years. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Who has the edge in rare Kansas governor race with only 2 candidates in November?
Ty Masterson and Cindy Holscher are competing for unaffiliated voters’ support in Kansas’ first two-way gubernatorial contest in 32 years.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
The ad splices together quotes from two sermons that the founding pastor of Church of the Resurrection gave in 2020.
kansascity.com
Ad quotes snippets of Hamilton sermons. What did he say about BLM, climate change?
The ad splices together quotes from two sermons that the founding pastor of Church of the Resurrection delivered in 2020.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
“Ty will formally conclude his decade plus of service to GoCreate upon taking office,” Masterson's campaign spokesperson said.
kansascity.com
Masterson to leave 2nd job at WSU for remainder of campaign. Criticism still follows
After The Star reported on Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson’s flexible schedule and the opaque source of his privately-funded salary, numerous other outlets picked up the story.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
(Gift link) “They can’t bust through the front door. They’re going to keep trying through the back doors,” said Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat.
kansascity.com
The anti-abortion agenda in Kansas was dealt two crushing defeats. What comes next?
“They can’t bust through the front door. They’re going to keep trying through the backdoors,” said Rep. Susan Ruiz, a Shawnee Democrat.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
(Gift link) Community organizers worry the sale could diminish local oversight and exacerbate conditions that detainees and their families say are already dire. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
CoreCivic sells Kansas ICE prison to the feds as activists allege medical neglect
Community organizers worry the sale will diminish local oversight and exacerbate conditions that detainees and their families say are dire.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
In a major victory for supporters of abortion rights in Kansas, a Johnson County District Court judge on Monday granted a permanent injunction blocking a bevy of state laws that impose strict requirements for abortion providers and patients. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kansas laws restricting abortion providers are unconstitutional, judge rules
The Johnson County District Court ruling by K. Christopher Jayaram was filed on the same day that Jayaram joined the Kansas Supreme Court.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The millionaire entrepreneur’s personal jet has logged dozens of hours outside of Kansas during the closing stretch of the GOP gubernatorial primary. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Sarnecki wants to sell Kansas’ private jet. His own plane raises campaign questions
The Republican entrepreneur’s personal jet has logged dozens of hours outside of Kansas during the closing stretch of the governor primary.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
In a Democratic primary shaped by personal attacks and long-simmering animosity, dueling accusations jeopardize party unity.
kansascity.com
Accusations of blackmail, bullying rock bitter Kansas Democratic governor primary
In a Democratic primary shaped by personal attacks and long-simmering animosity, dueling accusations jeopardize party unity.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Trump dialed in for a “tell-rally” in support of Ty Masterson, one of seven GOP candidates competing for a chance to become governor of Kansas. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Trump phones in rally for Masterson: ‘We love each other. We love that state’
Trump dialed in for a “tele-rally” in support of Ty Masterson, one of seven GOP candidates competing for a chance to be governor of Kansas.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Sen. Roger Marshall has repeatedly taken credit for funding programs he voted against, The Star found. The Republican senator has touted at least $250 million in Kansas projects funded by legislation that he voted against. Story w/ @kacen.bsky.social www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
In Olathe and beyond, Marshall votes against funding for big projects — then takes credit
Throughout his five years in the U.S. Senate, Roger Marshall has repeatedly touted projects funded by legislation he voted against.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Heremes said his aggressive approach to calling out perceived corruption — he claims that Leavenworth police impersonated him online to send intimidating messages — should work in his favor with voters.
kansascity.com
Personal vendetta alleging ‘corrupt’ judges fuels JoCo Republican’s statehouse bid
On his website, Mark Hermes blends his ideas for judicial reform and protecting fathers’ rights with personal attacks on judges.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
WSU provided some details in response to an open records request for Masterson’s contract and details about the source of his salary. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Wichita State breaks down Masterson’s duties, salary at on-campus Koch workshop
WSU provided some information in response to an open records request for Masterson’s contract and details about the source of his salary.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Three weeks out from the August primary, Kansas voters are being inundated with political messaging about a proposed seismic overhaul of the state Supreme Court. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kansas amendment would overhaul Supreme Court justice selection. What’s at stake?
Voters are being inundated with political messaging about a proposed seismic overhaul of the Kansas Supreme Court.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Undeterred by polling that shows Sen. Cindy Holscher’s anti-establishment message is resonating with likely Democratic voters, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly has taken to the airwaves to make an impassioned case for her chosen successor, Ethan Corson. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kelly: Only one Democrat in race can win over ‘extraordinarily moderate’ KS voters
The term-limited Democratic standard-bearer doesn’t have kind words for the other two candidates vying for the party’s nomination.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
(Gift link) Last year, Masterson made $163,000 as director of GoCreate, a Koch Collaborative — nearly twice the $85,000 salary he earned as a top lawmaker in Topeka. Over the last decade, Masterson has been paid more than $1.1 million by the WSU Foundation. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
What exactly does Ty Masterson do at Koch-funded office? Rival calls it a ‘no-show job’
Over the last decade, the top lawmaker and governor candidate has been paid more than $1.1 million to serve as GoCreate director.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The Rev. Adam Hamilton’s campaign reported receiving $3.66 million from 16,336 individual donors between April 30 and June 30. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
KC-area pastor breaks Kansas fundraising record in bid for Marshall’s Senate seat
The Rev. Adam Hamilton’s campaign reported receiving $3.66 million from 16,336 individual donors between April 30 and June 30.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
A new poll commissioned by the Capitol Bee political news outlet and conducted by Change Research surveyed 1,022 likely Democratic voters on their preferences. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Which Democrats have traction in KS governor, Senate races? What new poll shows
An independent poll surveyed 1,022 likely Democratic voters on their preferences to replace Gov. Laura Kelly and U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Daniel Follett served six years as a Missouri assistant attorney general before moving to the Department of Revenue. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Top Missouri Department of Revenue lawyer accused of trying to pay minor for sex
Daniel Follett served six years as a Missouri assistant attorney general before moving to the Department of Revenue.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, filed a subsequent motion hours later seeking to intervene and defend the law “in her capacity as the chief executive officer of the state,” according to a press release. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
DOJ sues Kansas over in-state tuition for immigrants law. Kobach won’t defend it
AG Kris Kobach joined the DOJ in a motion asking the the law to be deemed invalid. In her own motion, Gov. Laura Kelly vowed to defend it.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
(Gift article) The architect of the 2025 Kansas law changing how U.S. Senate vacancies are filled said he wishes the Legislature still had the power to directly appoint Senators. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Could Kansas’ U.S. Senate race be delayed to 2028? Marshall denies replacement scheme
The architect of the 2025 Kansas law changing how U.S. Senate vacancies are filled said he wishes the Legislature still appointed Senators.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall of Kansas took to cable news on Wednesday evening to defend the terms of a tentative peace deal with Iran that has sharply divided members of his own party. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Marshall on Iran’s missile arsenal: ‘They have to be able to defend themselves’
Sen. Roger Marshall took to CNN to defend the terms of a tentative peace deal with Iran that has sharply divided members of his own party.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
“I will forever miss our post-tunnel dinner debriefs, gymnastics nights, deep talks about life and the universe, car jam sessions, and of course our time in the sky,” one of Will Fischer’s friends posted. amp.kansascity.com/news/local/a...
amp.kansascity.com
Skydiving was ‘love at first sight’ for young victim of Missouri plane crash
Will Fischer, 23, was one of 12 victims who died when a small plane carrying skydivers crashed near Butler Memorial Airport on Sunday.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
“There’s a difference between downsizing towards efficiency and eliminating by taking away the ability to function,” said Kansas 2nd District Rep. Derek Schmidt, a Republican. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
DOGE cuts 'gutted’ small KS farm service centers. Bipartisan bill seeks safeguards
“There’s a difference between downsizing towards efficiency and eliminating by taking away the ability to function.”
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
(Gift article) As communities across Kansas grapple with whether to embrace or reject polarizing data center projects, the issue is emerging as a key point of division among candidates of both parties vying to become the state’s next chief executive. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Here’s who supports, opposes statewide data center moratorium in KS governor race
Three Republicans and one Democrat running to be Kansas’ next chief executive want to halt data center developments — at least temporarily.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
“We have a responsibility to our voters to promote the candidates who have the most chance for success,” party Chair Deann Mitchell said. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Tempers flare after JoCo Democrats pull support for some U.S. Senate candidates
“We have a responsibility to our voters to promote the candidates who have the most chance for success,” party Chair Deann Mitchell said.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
No ruling has been handed down more than seven months after a consequential Kansas bench trial in a case that could reshape abortion access. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
High-stakes abortion case unresolved as judge named finalist for KS Supreme Court
No ruling has been handed down more than seven months after a consequential Kansas bench trial in a case that could reshape abortion access.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
The three-way contest between two Johnson County state senators and the Overland Park mayor is expected to be competitive. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Who’s the frontrunner in Democratic primary for Kansas governor? Experts weigh in
The race between two Johnson County lawmakers and the Overland Park mayor is expected to competitive.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
A divided Kansas City Council last week repealed a ban on conversion therapy, the scientifically discredited practice of attempting to change a gay or transgender person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kansas City Council repealed a ban on conversion therapy for minors. Here’s why
The decision clears a path for licensed professionals to perform conversion therapy on minors in Kansas City for the first time since 2019.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
President Donald Trump has spoken. On Sunday, the undisputed leader of the Republican Party threw his weight behind Ty Masterson in the Kansas governor’s race, instantly securing his status as the frontrunner in a nine-candidate GOP primary field. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Ty Masterson wins President Donald Trump’s endorsement in Kansas governor race
The endorsement solidifies the Kansas Senate president’s status as the frontrunner in a crowded GOP primary field.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
A top Kansas regulator who’s running for governor is facing scrutiny over a deluge of campaign contributions that she received from interested parties in the weeks before a key regulatory decision — raising ethical questions about a potential influence campaign. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kansas official running for governor received $300K in donations before key decision
The dozens of $4,000 maximum contributions to Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt’s campaign for governor all came in late December.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
State Sen. Cindy Holscher chose Rep. KC Ohaebosim to be her running mate as she seeks the Democratic nomination for Kansas governor. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Lawmaker could become Kansas’ first Black statewide official since the 1880s
State Sen. Cindy Holscher chose Rep. KC Ohaebosim to be her running mate as she seeks the Democratic nomination for Kansas governor.
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
A Kansas judge has cleared the way for transgender minors to resume gender-affirming care that lawmakers banned in 2025. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Kansas judge blocks law banning gender-affirming care for trans teenagers
With parental permission, physicians will once again be allowed to prescribe puberty blockers and hormone therapy to transgender minors.
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Reposted by Matthew Kelly
shortlittlekidd @shortlittlekidd.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
My friend Godofredo Vasquez was abruptly laid off from the AP. He’s an incredibly talented photojournalist and a genuinely kind person whose work has impacted so many people. (1/2)
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Matthew Kelly @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
“I didn’t want to give the Republicans my credentials because I think they have abandoned law and order and I think they have abandoned their moral authority. And they don’t deserve a candidate like me,” Jason Hart said. www.kansascity.com/news/politic...
kansascity.com
Longtime federal prosecutor builds case to replace Roger Marshall in U.S. Senate
“I didn’t want to give the Republicans my credentials because I think they have abandoned law and order and ... their moral authority.”
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