Washburn students gain firsthand experience following 2026 Kansas elections

Topeka, Kan. -Washburn University students are gaining firsthand experience this semester on the 2026 Kansas elections. Thirty Washburn students in a special topics political science course are deep diving into this Kansas election cycle.

Dr. Bob Beatty, professor and chair of political science at Washburn University, assigned each student a candidate from one of three major races - governor, U.S. Senate or attorney general - to follow through the Nov. 3 general election. Students provide weekly updates on their candidates' campaign activities, including analyses of television ads, social media posts, polling and media coverage. After the election, students will give in-depth presentations analyzing why their candidates won or lost.

Students also attended the gubernatorial debate between Cindy Holscher (D) and Ty Masterson (R) and the U.S. Senate debate between Adam Hamilton (D) and Roger Marshall (R) at the Kansas State Fair on Sept. 12 in Hutchinson.

"Seeing the debates in person made the campaigns more personal and engaging than following them through media coverage," said Preston Patton, a senior history major from Americus, Kan. "Following Kris Kobach's campaign and comparing it with other statewide campaigns has also helped me better understand the critical decisions candidates and their campaign teams make and the broader strategies behind a campaign. I'm looking forward to working at the polls on Election Day and seeing firsthand how local elections are run and how the state maintains election security."

To help defray travel costs for the debates in Hutchinson, students received funding through Exploring America Grants available through the Scholarly and Creative Washburn Transformational Experience (SCWTE) program.

The class will also help produce the attorney general debate between Kris Kobach (R) and Chris Mann (D), airing live at 7 p.m. Oct. 21 on KTWU. Beatty, a Kansas politics expert, will moderate the debate. Students will complete their hands-on election experience by serving as election workers at local polling places Nov. 3.

"Elections provide an opportunity for students to see the concepts we discuss in class unfold in real time," Beatty said. "By following a candidate throughout the campaign, attending debates, helping produce a televised debate and working at polling places on Election Day, students are experiencing the electoral process from several different perspectives. My hope is that they come away with a deeper understanding of how campaigns operate and how elections work beyond what they can learn from a textbook."

-30-

Founded in 1865, Washburn University is a public institution with more than 8,000 students involved in more than 200 academic programs. Washburn's programs lead to certification, associate, bachelor's, master's degree or doctor of nursing practice and juris doctor degrees. The programs are offered through Washburn's six primary academic units - the College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Applied Studies, the Gregory D. and Ronda K. Brenneman School of Business, the Harmony J. Hines School of Nursing, the School of Law and Washburn Tech.

All programs are offered on either the 160-acre residential campus in the heart of Topeka, Kan., at Washburn Tech's McPherson Campus, Washburn Tech East or Washburn Tech North. Washburn University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association and many of the individual programs have additional accreditations.

For further information, contact:
Lacey Kinder
Content Specialist
Telephone: (785) 670-2154
Cell: (785) 845-1909
Email: [email protected]