UPDATE, 5:35 p.m. | In a speech at the Johnson County, Kansas Republican Party Headquarters, Kris Kobach said it was time for Republicans to unite and said he was ready for the start his general election campaign.
Kobach stopped short of declaring himself the winner.
Incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer is holding a 7:30 p.m. news conference tonight in Topeka.
EARLIER | KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Kansas Republican Party is one step closer to determining its candidate Kansas governor this November.
A week after the primary election, Secretary of State Kris Kobach maintained his slim margin over incumbent Gov. Jeff Colyer after counties across the state reported results of provisional ballots counted since election day.
The state’s largest county, Johnson County, reported its results Tuesday afternoon, showing both candidates gaining a handful of votes in the county.
Following the counting of provisional ballots, Kobach picked up an additional 325 votes, pushing his county totals to 26,706. Colyer picked up an additional 301 votes, taking his county total to 31,143.
Statewide, Kobach leads Colyer 128,535 votes to 128,191 votes, a difference of 344.
Vote totals will continue to fluctuate as additional counties report results.
Coming up short in votes prompted lawyers from Colyer's campaign to press the Johnson County Board of Canvassers to reconsider a decision Monday not to count 153 ballots with signatures that didn't match voter records.
Election officials in Sedgwick County also completed their process Tuesday, with nearly 100 more votes going for Kobach.
Shawnee and Wyandotte Counties count their provisional ballots on Thursday.
It’s not immediately clear what – if any — steps the Colyer campaign will take regarding a recount of the vote. The campaign has until August 17 to formally request the recount.
