Washington (CNN) Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach has narrowly won the Republican nomination for governor, ousting incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer in the state's primary.

Colyer conceded the race Tuesday night, a week after the election took place and after additional absentee and provisional ballots extended Kobach's razor-thin lead to 345 votes out of more than 313,000 votes cast.

Colyer's concession ends a week of drama that featured scrutiny over every ballot, frantic back-and-forths over whether Kobach would recuse himself in a potential recount and a wait to see how many absentee and provisional ballots would ultimately be added after election night.

Democrats, who nominated state Sen. Laura Kelly for governor, believe Kobach's penchant for controversy gives them an opening in a ruby red state that Trump won by 21 percentage points, but where the party believes local issues have shifted in its favor. Teacher-fueled protests over education funding and two competitive congressional races have made Kansas a battleground in November's midterm elections.

Kobach had the backing of President Donald Trump, who endorsed him just before the primary. Kobach is an advocate for restrictive voting laws and, as the head of Trump's voting commission, had backed the President's claims of widespread voter fraud, despite failing to produce evidence to support those claims.

Read More</s>Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer concedes defeat in Republican primary, says he will endorse Secretary of State Kris Kobach

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer concedes defeat in Republican primary, says he will endorse Secretary of State Kris Kobach.</s>Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has conceded in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary, losing by a razor-thin margin to Secretary of State Kris Kobach in a race so close it took a week to determine the winner.

Colyer accepted defeat Tuesday evening after a review of some provisional ballots from most Kansas counties failed to find enough votes for him to overcome a deficit of 110 votes at the time of poll closing in the Aug. 7 primary, out of more than 311,000 votes initially counted.

Kobach will face Democrat Laura Kelly in the November general election.

Colyer is a 58-year-old plastic surgeon from suburban Kansas City. He served as lieutenant governor for seven years and took over as governor in January when Sam Brownback resigned to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

Kobach had the support of President Donald Trump.</s>The Kansas governor, Jeff Colyer, conceded on Tuesday evening in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary, saying he would endorse Kris Kobach, the secretary of state, a week after their neck-and-neck finish threatened to send the race to a recount.

Kobach, who was endorsed by Donald Trump, has a national conservative following thanks to his strong stance against illegal immigration and his fervent defense of voter ID laws.

Colyer accepted defeat in a surprise announcement after a review of some provisional ballots from most Kansas counties failed to find enough votes for him to overcome a deficit of 110 votes at the time of poll closing in the 7 August primary, out of more than 311,000 votes initially counted. Kobach has seen his lead widen as the counting of provisional ballots continues into next week across the state.

“I've just had a conversation with the secretary of state and congratulated him on his success and repeated my determination to keep this seat in Republican hands,” Colyer said. “This election may be the closest in America. But the numbers are not there.”

Colyer, a 58-year-old plastic surgeon from suburban Kansas City, served as lieutenant governor for seven years and took over as governor in January when Sam Brownback resigned to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

Kobach, 52, has been a lightning rod for controversy, and some Democrats believe their party has a better chance to capture the governor's seat with him as their Republican opponent instead of Colyer. He was vice-chairman of the Trump administration's election-fraud commission, though the commission eventually found no evidence to support Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election. Kobach's voter fraud efforts also took a hit in June when a federal judge found the proof-of-citizenship voter registration law he championed was unconstitutional.

"Never in modern Kansas history has any major party's nominee for governor been viewed as poorly by everyday Kansans than Kris Kobach," said Ethan Corson, the executive director of the Kansas Democratic party. "As the drawn-out Republican primary shows, even a significant number of Republican primary voters had and likely still have deep misgivings about the person now at the top of the GOP ticket."

Kobach will face the Democrat Laura Kelly, and is likely to face the independent candidate Greg Orman, in the November general election in the decidedly conservative state. The bid from Orman, a Kansas City-area businessman who has launched what could become the most serious independent candidacy for governor since the 1930s, complicates Democrats' efforts to recapture the governor's office.

In a statement after Colyer's announcement, Kelly said Kansas families had already suffered enough under Brownback and that the state didn’t need someone like Kobach who has pledged to bring back the same policies.

"With Kris Kobach as governor, Kansans get all the failed policies of Sam Brownback plus Kobach's unique brand of hyper-partisanship and self-promotion," Kelly said. "Quite simply, Kris Kobach is Sam Brownback on steroids, and that's the last thing that Kansans need right now."

Kobach said in a statement that he had received a call from Colyer before Colyer's news conference, where he conceded.

"He was incredibly gracious, and that meant a lot after such a hard-fought campaign," Kobach said. "I want to thank Gov. Jeff Colyer for a race well run. He was a worthy opponent, and I thank him sincerely for his service to the state of Kansas. I will work hard to advance our shared values, and I look forward to working with Gov. Colyer and all Republicans to keep Kansas red in November."</s>Incumbent Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded to his opponent, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, in the state’s Republican primary Tuesday night, one week after the narrow vote.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.</s>(Reuters) - Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer on Tuesday conceded the closely contested Republican nomination for the state’s governor race to Kris Kobach, a candidate endorsed by President Donald Trump.

Kobach, who serves as the Kansas secretary of state, in the latest tally for the Aug. 7 primary election, had received 128,543 votes, or 345 more votes than Colyer.

“I’ve just had a conversation with the secretary of state and I congratulated him on his success and I repeated my determination to keep this seat in Republican hands,” Colyer said at a news conference.

“This election is probably the closest in America but the numbers are just not there, unless we were to go to extraordinary measures,” Colyer said.

Colyer had been appointed governor after Sam Brownback vacated the post to join Donald Trump’s administration.

The primary election was held on Aug. 7, but a winner had not been determined in the Republican race for the nomination for governor due to the narrow margin.

Both Colyer and Kobach received about 41 percent of the vote.

Kobach will face Laura Kelly, who won the Democratic nomination, in November.</s>PARIS, Aug 15 — Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer conceded the Republican nomination for the state’s governor race to Trump backer Kris Kobach in public comments made yesterday, one week after the primary.

Colyer had been appointed governor after Sam Brownback vacated the post to join Donald Trump’s administration.

Both he and Kobach received about 41 per cent of the vote in the primary, but a winner had not been determined due to the narrow margin in the race.

Kobach will face Laura Kelly, who won the Democratic nomination one week ago. — Reuters</s>(Reuters) - A staunch ally of President Donald Trump, Kris Kobach, won the closely contested Republican nomination for the Kansas governor’s race on Tuesday when incumbent Governor Jeff Colyer conceded the election.

Kobach’s win marks another successful endorsement for Trump, who has weighed in on Republican primaries in several state and federal races, including Georgia’s governor primary, signaling the embattled president remains popular with his base.

Kobach, who serves as the Kansas secretary of state, in the latest tally for the Aug. 7 primary election, had received 128,543 votes, or 345 more votes than Colyer.

“I’ve just had a conversation with the secretary of state and I congratulated him on his success and I repeated my determination to keep this seat in Republican hands,” Colyer said at a news conference.

“This election is probably the closest in America but the numbers are just not there, unless we were to go to extraordinary measures,” Colyer said.

Kansas state law allows for a recount if the vote margin is within half a percentage point, but Colyer decided against making the request.

While Kansas traditionally votes for Republicans at the federal level, the state has traded between Republicans and Democrats in the state capital, and after Brownback passed a series of tax cuts that led to a fiscal crisis, Democrats see an opening to win the race, particularly against the polarizing Kobach.

Kobach has been a prominent leader of the push to restrict illegal immigration and pass more restrictive voting laws. He advised Trump’s presidential campaign on immigration and served as vice chairman of the president’s short-lived voter fraud commission.

“I look forward to working with Governor Colyer and all Republicans to keep Kansas red in November!” Kobach said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday.

Colyer had been appointed governor after Sam Brownback vacated the post to join Trump’s administration.

Kobach will face Laura Kelly, who won the Democratic nomination, in November.

Trump won the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016 by about 20 percentage points.</s>Jeff Colyer concedes to Trump-backed Kris Kobach in Kansas GOP governor’s race one week after vote

Incumbent Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded to his opponent, Secretary of State Kris Kobach, in the state’s Republican primary Tuesday night, one week after the extremely narrow vote.

The latest vote tally put Kobach, whom President Trump had endorsed, just 345 votes over Colyer out of more than 311,000 initially counted.

Kobach took to Twitter to thank the governor for his endorsement and his “gracious call” to concede.

The close race called for a lengthy county-by-county review of provisional ballots and resulted in both candidates’ challenging each other’s legal interpretations, sending observers to monitor the vote count and raising the specter of lawsuits. – READ MORE

It’s becoming clear that Democrats will stop at nothing to get their “blue wave” to happen.

In Tuesday’s special election for Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, Republican Troy Balderson won by a narrow margin — around 1,600 votes.

Such a slim margin in this special election has brought to light the dangerous consequences voter fraud can have for those who play fair.

According to expert Eric Eggers, research director at the Government Accountability Institute, 170 registered voters in Ohio’s 12th Congressional District are listed as being “over 116 years old.”

Considering that the world’s oldest living person is a 115-year-old resident of Japan, this is a big problem.

“That’s 10 percent of Balderson’s current margin of victory, pending provisional ballots,” Eggers wrote. “And 72 voters over the age of 116 who ‘live’ in Balderson’s district cast ballots in the 2016 election.”

In fact, many of the voters on Ohio’s rolls list their birthdays as Jan. 1, 1800, making them 218 years old. Clearly something is amiss. – READ MORE</s>WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer conceded Tuesday evening in the state's Republican gubernatorial primary, saying he will endorse Secretary of State Kris Kobach a week after their neck-and-neck finish threatened to send the race to a recount.

Colyer accepted defeat in a surprise announcement after a review of some provisional ballots from most Kansas counties failed to find enough votes for him to overcome a deficit of 110 votes at the time of poll closing in the Aug. 7 primary, out of more than 311,000 votes initially counted. Kobach, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, has seen his lead widen as the counting of provisional ballots continues into next week across the state.

"I've just had a conversation with the secretary of state and congratulated him on his success and repeated my determination to keep this seat in Republican hands," Colyer said. "This election may be the closest in America. But the numbers are not there."

Kobach, 52, has a national conservative following thanks to his strong stance against illegal immigration and his fervent defense of voter ID laws. He was vice chairman of the Trump administration's election-fraud commission, though the commission eventually found no evidence to support Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2016 presidential election. Kobach's voter fraud efforts also took a hit in June when a federal judge found the proof-of-citizenship voter registration law he championed was unconstitutional.

Colyer, by contrast, is far more low-key. The 58-year-old plastic surgeon from suburban Kansas City served as lieutenant governor for seven years and took over as governor in January when Sam Brownback resigned to become ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom.

Kobach has been a lightning rod for controversy, and some Democrats believe their party has a better chance to capture the governor's seat with him as their Republican opponent instead of Colyer.

"Never in modern Kansas history has any major party's nominee for governor been viewed as poorly by everyday Kansans than Kris Kobach," said Ethan Corson, the executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party. "As the drawn-out Republican primary shows, even a significant number of Republican primary voters had and likely still have deep misgivings about the person now at the top of the GOP ticket."

Kobach will face Democrat Laura Kelly, and is likely to face independent candidate Greg Orman, in the November general election in the decidedly conservative state. The bid from Orman, a Kansas City-area businessman who has launched what could become the most serious independent candidacy for governor since the 1930s, complicates Democrats' efforts to recapture the governor's office.

In a statement after Colyer's announcement, Kelly said Kansas families already suffered enough under former Gov. Brownback and that the state doesn't need someone like Kobach who has pledged to bring back the same policies.

"With Kris Kobach as Governor, Kansans get all the failed policies of Sam Brownback plus Kobach's unique brand of hyper-partisanship and self-promotion," Kelly said. "Quite simply, Kris Kobach is Sam Brownback on steroids, and that's the last thing that Kansans need right now."

Before becoming governor, Colyer was a loyal No. 2 to Brownback, even when budget problems that followed Brownback's aggressive income tax cuts caused his approval levels to plummet. Lawmakers in 2017 rolled back most of those cuts.

The disputed race between Colyer and Kobach was intense and prompted a lengthy county-by-county review of provisional ballots. The aftermath of the primary included both candidates challenging each other's legal interpretations, sending observers to monitor the vote count and raising the specter of lawsuits.

But in the end, Colyer and Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann said they were committed to supporting Republican nominee Kobach and helping him win in November.

"We will make sure the next governor is fully prepared and has our total cooperation in the peaceful transition of power," Colyer told reporters in Topeka. He left without taking questions.

Kobach said in a statement that he received a call from Colyer before Colyer's news conference where he conceded.

"He was incredibly gracious, and that meant a lot after such a hard-fought campaign," Kobach said. "I want to thank Gov. Jeff Colyer for a race well run. He was a worthy opponent, and I thank him sincerely for his service to the state of Kansas. I will work hard to advance our shared values, and I look forward to working with Gov. Colyer and all Republicans to keep Kansas red in November."

Colyer was trying to avoid becoming the first Kansas governor to lose a primary since 1956, and the first nationally since Hawaii's Neil Abercrombie lost a Democratic primary in 2014.

Bob Beatty, a political scientist at Washburn University in Topeka, said there was still a small chance that a recount could have revealed something to change Colyer's chances, but the odds were very much against him. By conceding, Colyer has made it possible for him to run for another office in the future, Beatty said.

Both Kelly and Orman want to face Kobach in the fall, Beatty said, noting several polls showing Kobach weaker in the field than Colyer.

"Now that doesn't mean Kobach can't win," Beatty said. "Let's just say there might have been three parties tonight — Kobach, Orman and Kelly."
Incumbent Governor of Kansas Jeff Colyer concedes defeat to Republican challenger Kris Kobach in the primary election.