2010 Kansas gubernatorial election

2010 Kansas gubernatorial election
← 2006 November 2, 2010 2014 →
	County results ; Brownback: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90%; Holland: 60–70%
Governor before election; Mark Parkinson; Democratic	Elected Governor ; Sam Brownback; Republican

The 2010 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Governor Mark Parkinson, who assumed office when previous Governor Kathleen Sebelius was sworn in as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services on April 28, 2009, declined to seek election to a full term. Senator Sam Brownback, who unsuccessfully ran for president in 2008, emerged as the Republican nominee, facing off against Democratic State Senator Tom Holland, who was unopposed for his party's nomination. Brownback defeated Holland in a landslide to become the 46th Governor of Kansas. As of 2022, this is the last gubernatorial election in Kansas where the winner received a majority of the vote.

Quick facts Nominee, Party ...

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Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Tom Holland	74,754	100.00
Total votes			74,754	100.00

Poll source	Dates administered	Sam Brownback	Joan Heffington
Survey USA^[2]	July 29 – August 1, 2010	75%	18%
Survey USA^[3]	July 15–18, 2010	73%	19%
Survey USA^[4]	June 24–27, 2010	76%	17%

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Sam Brownback	263,920	82.20
	Republican	Joan Heffington	57,160	17.80
Total votes			321,080	100.00

Poll source	Dates administered	Sam Brownback (R)	Tom Holland (D)
Survey USA^[10]	September 16, 2010	59%	32%
Survey USA^[11]	August 12–15, 2010	67%	25%
Rasmussen Reports^[12]	August 4, 2010	57%	34%
Rasmussen Reports^[13]	June 30, 2010	59%	31%
Rasmussen Reports^[14]	May 11, 2010	58%	27%
Rasmussen Reports^[14]	March 1, 2010	55%	33%

Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Sam Brownback	530,760	63.28%	+22.84%
	Democratic	Tom Holland	270,166	32.21%	−25.69%
	Libertarian	Andrew P. Gray	22,460	2.68%	+1.63%
	Reform	Kenneth W. Cannon	15,397	1.84%	+1.22%
	Write-ins		7	0.00%
Majority			260,594	31.07%	+13.60%
Turnout			838,790
	Republican gain from Democratic		Swing