Jeff Colyer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeff Colyer
47th Governor of Kansas
In office January 31, 2018 – January 14, 2019
Lieutenant	Tracey Mann
Preceded by	Sam Brownback
Succeeded by	Laura Kelly
49th Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
In office January 10, 2011 – January 31, 2018
Governor	Sam Brownback
Preceded by	Troy Findley
Succeeded by	Tracey Mann
Member of the Kansas Senate from the 37th district
In office January 12, 2009 – January 10, 2011
Preceded by	Dennis Wilson
Succeeded by	Raymond Merrick
Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 48th district
In office January 8, 2007 – January 12, 2009
Preceded by	Eric Carter
Succeeded by	Marvin Kleeb
Personal details
Born	Jeffrey William Colyer (1960-06-03) June 3, 1960 (age 65) Hays, Kansas, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Ruth Gutierrez
Children	3
Education	Georgetown University (BS) Clare Hall, Cambridge (MA) University of Kansas (MD)

Jeffrey William Colyer (born June 3, 1960) is an American surgeon and politician. He served as the 47th governor of Kansas from 2018 to 2019. A governor is the leader of a U.S. state's government.

Before becoming governor, Colyer was the 49th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. He became governor when the previous governor, Sam Brownback, resigned to take another job. Colyer is a member of the Republican Party.

Colyer ran to be elected governor for a full term in 2018. He lost the Republican primary election by a very small number of votes to Kris Kobach. Kobach then lost the main election to the Democratic candidate, Laura Kelly.

Early Life and Education

Jeff Colyer grew up in Hays, Kansas. His father was a dentist. After graduating from high school in 1978, he went to Georgetown University to study economics and prepare for medical school.

He later earned a master's degree in international relations from Clare Hall, Cambridge in England. In 1986, he received his medical degree from the University of Kansas.

Career as a Surgeon

After medical school, Colyer trained to become a surgeon. He specialized in plastic surgery and craniofacial surgery, which helps fix problems with the face and skull, often for children. In 1994, he opened his own medical practice in Overland Park, Kansas.

Colyer also volunteered his medical skills around the world with the International Medical Corps. He traveled to dangerous places like Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and Iraq to treat people and train local doctors.

Political Career

Before becoming governor, Colyer was involved in politics for many years. He worked as a White House Fellow for Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.

In 2006, he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. Two years later, in 2008, he was elected to the Kansas Senate.

Lieutenant Governor of Kansas

In 2010, Sam Brownback, who was running for governor, chose Colyer to be his running mate for lieutenant governor. They won the election and took office in 2011. They were re-elected in 2014.

As lieutenant governor, Colyer was in charge of a program to improve Kansas's Medicaid system, called KanCare. The program aimed to provide better healthcare while saving the state money.

During the 2014 election, there was a controversy when Colyer's team brought up an old police report about their opponent. Also, during his time as lieutenant governor, Colyer and other officials asked for more documents about President Barack Obama before he could be on the Kansas presidential ballot in 2012.

Governor of Kansas

In 2017, President Donald Trump appointed Governor Sam Brownback to a new role as an ambassador. When Brownback resigned in January 2018, Colyer automatically became the new governor of Kansas.

What Did Governor Colyer Do?

As soon as he became governor, Colyer signed an order for all state workers to have training about preventing workplace harassment. He also supported a "ban the box" policy. This meant that people applying for state jobs did not have to say if they had a criminal record on their first application.

Here are some other key actions from his time as governor:

• School Funding: He signed a law to increase funding for public schools by $500 million over five years. This was to help schools, especially in poorer areas, and to raise teacher salaries.
• Transparency: He approved laws to make it easier for the public to see police body camera videos and to get information when a child in the state's care is harmed.
• Adoption Law: He signed the Adoption Protection Act. This law allows faith-based adoption agencies to choose not to place children with certain couples, such as same-sex couples, if it goes against their religious beliefs.
• National Guard: He approved more money to help members of the Kansas National Guard pay for college tuition.

When Colyer left office in 2019, the state of Kansas had a budget surplus of $900 million.

2018 Election for Governor

Colyer ran for a full term as governor in the 2018 election. He had support from famous Kansas politician Bob Dole and other groups. However, he lost the Republican primary election to Kris Kobach by just a few hundred votes. It was one of the closest elections in Kansas history. Colyer became the first sitting governor to lose a primary since 2014.

Life After Being Governor

In 2020, Colyer was appointed to lead a national group that advises the government on healthcare in rural areas.

He planned to run for governor again in the 2022 election. However, he left the race in August 2021 after being diagnosed with prostate cancer.

On May 14, 2025, Colyer announced he was running for governor again in the 2026 election.

Personal Life

Colyer married Ruth Gutierrez in 1991. They have three daughters.

In August 2021, Colyer announced that he had prostate cancer. He received treatment and said he was hopeful for a full recovery.

Electoral history

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Colyer para niños