1996 United States Senate special election in Kansas

none the other Senate election in Kansas held in parallel 1996 United States Senate election in Kansas March 2026 September 2023 1996 United States Senate special election in Kansas Kansas presidential no 1992 United States Senate election in Kansas 1992 1998 United States Senate election in Kansas 1998 November 5, 1996 File:Head shot of Senator Sam Brownback.jpg 150x150px Sam Brownback Republican Party (United States) 574,021 53.91% 3x4.svg Jill Docking Democratic Party (United States) 461,344 43.33% 1996 United States Senate special election in Kansas results map by county.svg 270px County results Brownback: #ffb2b2 40–50% #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% #d72f30 70–80% Docking: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% U.S. Senator Sheila Frahm Republican Party (United States) Sam Brownback Republican Party (United States) The 1996 United States Senate special election in Kansas was held on November 5, 1996, concurrently with the presidential election and the regularly scheduled election for the state's Class 2 seat. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole, the Republican nominee for president, had resigned on June 11, 1996, in order to focus on his presidential campaign. Lieutenant Governor Sheila Frahm was appointed to the seat upon Dole's resignation, but she was defeated in the primary by Representative Sam Brownback, who went on to win the general election over Democrat Jill Docking. Brownback served in the U.S. Senate from 1996 to 2011 and later as governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018; in his successful 2014 gubernatorial re-election campaign, he defeated the Democratic ticket, which included Docking as the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. As of 2025, this is the last time a Democratic candidate won Cowley County as well as Ellis County in a US Senate election. Republican primary Candidates Sam Brownback, U.S. congressman and former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Christina Campbell-Cline, accountant Sheila Frahm, incumbent U.S. senator and former lieutenant governor of Kansas Results Republican primary resultshttp://www.kssos.org/elections/96elec/96sum/p96ussum.html 1996 Primary Election US Senate Races Sam Brownback Republican Party (United States) 187,914 54.82% Sheila Frahm (incumbent) Republican Party (United States) 142,487 41.57% Christina Campbell-Cline Republican Party (United States) 12,378 3.61% 342,779 100.00% Democratic primary Candidates Jill Docking, businesswoman and daughter-in-law of former Kansas Governor Robert Docking Joan Finney, former governor of Kansas and former Kansas State Treasurer Results Democratic primary results Jill Docking Democratic Party (United States) 127,012 74.39% Joan Finney Democratic Party (United States) 43,726 25.61% 170,738 100.00% General election Candidates Sam Brownback (R), U.S. congressman and former Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Jill Docking (D), businesswoman and daughter-in-law of former Kansas Governor Robert Docking Donald Klaassen (Reform), businessman Results General election resultshttps://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/1996/96Stat.htm#16 Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives Republican Party (United States) Sam Brownback 574,021 53.91% -8.78% Democratic Party (United States) Jill Docking 461,344 43.33% +12.30% Reform Party (United States) Donald R. Klaassen 29,351 2.76% 112,677 10.58% -21.08% 1,064,716 Republican Party (United States) Aftermath Brownback was re-elected to a first full term in 1998, and was re-elected again to a second full term in 2004. In 2010, Brownback was elected governor, and won a second term in 2014. He resigned as governor on January 31, 2018, to accept an ambassadorship, and was succeeded by Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer. Brownback's seat is now held by Jerry Moran, a U.S. representative from Kansas' 1st district for seven terms (1997–2011). Docking was the running mate of the Democratic nominee, state representative and Minority Leader Paul Davis, in the 2014 gubernatorial election. See also 1996 United States Senate elections References United States Senate Special Kansas 1996 Kansas 1996 Kansas 1996 United States Senate 1996