Jeff Colyer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Colyer
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| 47th Governor of Kansas | |
| In office January 31, 2018 – January 14, 2019 |
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| Lieutenant | Tracey Mann |
| Preceded by | Sam Brownback |
| Succeeded by | Laura Kelly |
| 49th Lieutenant Governor of Kansas | |
| In office January 10, 2011 – January 31, 2018 |
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| Governor | Sam Brownback |
| Preceded by | Troy Findley |
| Succeeded by | Tracey Mann |
| Member of the Kansas Senate from the 37th district |
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| In office January 12, 2009 – January 10, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Dennis Wilson |
| Succeeded by | Raymond Merrick |
| Member of the Kansas House of Representatives from the 48th district |
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| In office January 8, 2007 – January 12, 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Eric Carter |
| Succeeded by | Marvin Kleeb |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jeffrey William Colyer
June 3, 1960 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 was the 47th governor of Kansas from 2018 to 2019. Before that, he served as the lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2011 to 2018. Colyer is a member of the Republican Party. He also served in the Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas Senate. He became governor when Sam Brownback resigned.
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Early life and education
Jeff Colyer grew up in Hays, Kansas. His father was a dentist. Colyer finished high school in 1978. He then went to Georgetown University. There, he studied economics and pre-med, earning a bachelor's degree in 1981. He later earned a master's degree from Clare Hall, Cambridge in 1982. In 1986, he received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas.
Medical career
Colyer completed special training in surgery. He trained in general surgery, plastic surgery, and craniofacial/pediatric plastic surgery.
He was a White House fellow under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush. In this role, he worked on international issues.
In 1994, Colyer started his own plastic surgery practice in Overland Park, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. He also volunteers with the International Medical Corps. He has provided medical care in places like Kosovo and Sierra Leone. He has performed surgeries and trained local doctors. Colyer has also volunteered as a surgeon in war zones, including Afghanistan and Iraq. He also helped in Rwanda during its genocide.
Political career
Colyer first ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 but did not win.
In 2006, he was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives. He represented the 48th district. As a new lawmaker, he led the 2007 Legislative Health Reform Task Force. In 2008, he was elected to the Kansas Senate for the 37th district.
While in the state Senate, Colyer supported changes to state laws. He worked on amendments for Supreme Court appointments and for a budget fund.
Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
Serving with Governor Brownback
In 2010, U.S. Senator Sam Brownback chose Colyer as his running mate for governor of Kansas. Brownback and Colyer won the election in November 2010. They took office in January 2011. Colyer resigned his state Senate seat to become lieutenant governor.
In 2014, Brownback and Colyer ran for reelection. They won again, defeating their opponent, Paul Davis.
As lieutenant governor, Colyer helped lead a big change in Kansas's Medicaid program, called KanCare. This program helped save the state money while also improving services for people. For example, it led to fewer hospital stays and more people seeing a primary care physician.
Governor of Kansas
In 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Governor Brownback for a new job in Washington, D.C. Brownback resigned as governor on January 31, 2018. This made Jeff Colyer the 47th governor of Kansas.
As governor, Colyer signed several laws to make the government more open. One law made police body camera videos more accessible after certain events. Another law required more information to be released after a child's death in state care. He also signed a law that made more people who try to influence government officials register as lobbyists.
Colyer also increased money for public schools. He added $500 million over five years. This money was meant to help schools, especially in rural areas and those with lower incomes. It also aimed to increase teacher salaries. He also approved more money for the Kansas National Guard. This helped National Guard members with tuition costs.
Colyer signed the Adoption Protection Act. This law allows religious adoption groups to choose not to offer adoptions to same-sex couples.
2018 election for governor
Colyer ran for a full term as governor in 2018. He had support from important figures like former U.S. Senate leader Bob Dole. His main opponent in the Republican primary was Kris Kobach. President Donald Trump supported Kobach.
After the primary election, the votes were very close. Kobach had a small lead. After more votes were counted, Colyer accepted that he had lost to Kobach on August 14. This made him the first sitting governor to lose a primary election since 2014.
Kobach later lost the main election to the Democratic candidate, Laura Kelly. When Colyer left office, Kansas had a large budget surplus of $900 million.
After being governor
In February 2020, Jeff Colyer was chosen to lead a national committee. This committee advises on rural health issues.
2022 election for governor
Colyer planned to run for governor again in 2022. However, he stopped his campaign in August 2021. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Personal life
Jeff Colyer married Ruth Gutierrez in 1991. They have three daughters.
Health
On August 30, 2021, Colyer shared that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Both his father and grandfather had also had this disease. He began treatment and said he was hopeful for a full recovery.
Images for kids
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Jeff Colyer signing bill.jpg
Governor Colyer signing a bill into law.
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Colyer para niños
