KC Ohaebosim Appears to Win Kansas Lieutenant Governor's Seat

Kelechi “KC” Ohaebosim has appeared to win the Kansas lieutenant governor’s seat, the first time such an event has occurred in the state in nearly 140 years.

The last Black Kansan to hold a statewide office was Edward McCabe, who served as state auditor beginning in 1882. McCabe was a prominent political figure and the first Black official to hold public office outside of the South, serving as a Republican until party members blocked his bid for a third term in 1887.

That lengthy political drought ended on Nov. 3, when early indications showed Ohaebosim securing the lieutenant governor’s office alongside the Democratic ticket. While official results remain pending and the race heads to a close-race audit announced by the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office, the Democratic ticket featuring Cindy Holscher and Ohaebosim held a lead of roughly 7,600 votes over Republican Ty Masterson as of Monday.

Nigerian American KC Ohaebosim Becomes First Black Lt. Governor-elect of Kansas — Olurotimi Osha

“That is a gap of nearly 140 years, and that is significant,” said Angeline Johnson, chair of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission.

“It is significant because representation in governance matters,” Johnson said. “And that’s important because when the people making decisions at our state’s highest levels of elected leadership reflect the communities in which they serve, those communities and priorities are more likely to be a part of those decisions.”

KC Ohaebosim Appears to Win Kansas Lieutenant Governor's Seat — Photo: newsfromthestates.com

Ohaebosim brings nearly a decade of legislative experience in the Kansas House representing parts of Wichita. Born and raised in Wichita with some of his childhood spent in Nigeria, his campaign highlighted his legislative record, including his vote to repeal the tax experiment instituted by former Republican Gov. Sam Brownback that left the state facing a revenue crisis.

Counties featuring large Black populations, such as Sedgwick and Wyandotte counties, served as strongholds for Democrats across all statewide races during the election. U.S. Sen.-elect Adam Hamilton, Holscher, and Democratic Attorney General-elect Chris Mann all carried these populous urban regions in the Wichita and Kansas City areas.

An analysis of voter trends showed 86% of Black voters in Kansas cast ballots for Hamilton, propelling him to victory over Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall. Black voters make up about 5.5% of registered voters statewide, while half of white voters in Kansas voted for Marshall.

As lieutenant governor, Democrat KC Ohaebosim would be the second Black Kansan to hold statewide office. The first was Edward McCabe, an 1880s state auditor. #ksleg https://t.co/O26kMWh4AN

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Johnson emphasized that increased turnout among Black and Latino voters helps align the electorate more closely with the actual population of Kansas. Without diverse representation in government, she noted, specific community needs can easily be overlooked.

“Our concerns are just the same as the rest of Kansas,” said Nedra Locke, leader of the African American Democratic Caucus of Kansas.

Locke highlighted pressing everyday issues, pointing to Medicare affordability as a senior citizen, public school quality as a grandmother, and ineffective public infrastructure observed in daily life. Having Black leaders in prominent public service roles opens doors for future generations and introduces essential perspectives, according to Locke.

The margin separating the gubernatorial candidates by only a few thousand votes out of more than a million cast highlights the direct impact of individual participation at the ballot box. If the current lead holds following the secretary of state’s close-race audit, Ohaebosim’s victory will establish a new chapter in Kansas governance after more than a century.