Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly waves to supporters at a watch party after calling it a night with the race too close to call, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, in Topeka, Kan. Kelly was facing Republican challenger and Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly (D) defeated GOP challenger Derek Schmidt in a close contest.

The Associated Press called the race Wednesday at 12:24 p.m. CST. As of 12:50 p.m., Kelly led with 49% of the vote, just two percentage points ahead of Schmidt.

Schmidt is currently serving as Kansas’ attorney general, a position he has used to stir up controversy. After the 2020 election, Schmidt participated in the Texas v. Pennsylvania Supreme Court case, which was an effort by supporters of former President Donald Trump to overturn the election results. 

Kelly was elected in 2018 and, like her opponent, managed to post record fundraising numbers in the tossup race.