Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly beat back a Republican challenge Wed., winning a second term in office with 49.2% of the vote.

Kelly defeated GOP state AG Derek Schmidt by 1.5 points in one of this cycle's most competitive gubernatorial races.

Kansas Gov. race results, >95% reporting (NYT) 🗳️Kelly: 49.2%, 479K+ votes 🗳️Schmidt: 47.7%, 465K+ votes

Kelly had an uphill battle on Election Day: Kansas is a deep-red state and voted for Trump by 14+ points in 2020.

Kelly made history with her victory: she is the second Democratic incumbent ever to win reelection in Kansas. (KWCH)

She is also the second woman in Kansas history to win reelection to state office. (KWCH)

Kelly thanked her supporters on Twitter Wed.: "These next 4 years are about making sure Kansas lives up to its potential."

Kelly: "The future is bright."