Do Senate leaders retain their positions if they lose a mid-term election for a different office?

Kansas Senate leaders who launched unsuccessful campaigns for other offices will retain their positions in the state Senate.

Kansas senators serve four-year terms, with all seats up for election every four years. The most recent Senate election was in 2024, a presidential election year.

Once elected, the majority and minority caucuses select their leaders and nominate candidates for Senate president and vice president, who the full senate then votes on.

Republicans selected Chase Blasi as majority leader, and Democrats selected Dinah Sykes as minority leader. In 2024, senators elected Ty Masterson to serve as Senate president for the duration of the four-year term.

Although Sykes launched an unsuccessful bid for Insurance Commissioner and Masterson faces a narrow deficit in the gubernatorial race, neither vacated their Senate seats or leadership positions as a result of their campaigns. Both can retain leadership positions for the 2027-28 legislative sessions.