Laura Kelly

Laura Kelly
Official portrait, 2018
Laura Kelly
Born	Laura Jeanne Kelly 24 1, 1950
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Title	48th Governor of Kansas
Known for	48th Governor of Kansas
Education	Bradley University (BS) Indiana University Bloomington (MS)
Children	2
Website	[https://governor.kansas.gov/ Official site]

Laura Jeanne Kelly (born January 24, 1950) is an American politician who has served as the 48th governor of Kansas since January 14, 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, Kelly represented the 18th district in the Kansas Senate from 2005 to 2019 before winning the gubernatorial election in 2018, defeating Republican nominee Kris Kobach in a race that drew national attention. She won reelection in 2022, becoming only the second Democratic governor in Kansas to win a second term since the 1960s. Born in New York City and educated in Illinois and Indiana, Kelly built her political career in Kansas through years of work in the state legislature, where she developed a reputation centered on bipartisan budget negotiations and education funding. As governor, she has navigated a politically divided state government, frequently engaging with the Republican-controlled legislature on matters ranging from fiscal policy and Medicaid expansion to social issues involving transgender rights. Her tenure has been marked by efforts to present a centrist governing philosophy in a state that has historically leaned Republican in statewide elections.

Early Life

Laura Jeanne Kelly was born on January 24, 1950, in New York City, New York. Details regarding her parents and early family life in New York are limited in publicly available sources. Kelly eventually moved to the Midwest for her higher education, attending Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree. She later pursued graduate studies at Indiana University Bloomington, where she obtained a Master of Science degree.

Kelly relocated to Kansas, where she would build both her personal and professional life. Before entering elected politics, she was involved in state-level policy work and recreational services. Her career path in Kansas led her to become engaged in public service issues, particularly those related to children and families, which would later inform her legislative priorities in the Kansas Senate.

Education

Kelly earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Bradley University, a private university located in Peoria, Illinois. She subsequently attended Indiana University Bloomington, one of the flagship campuses of the Indiana University system, where she completed a Master of Science degree. Her graduate education provided a foundation for her later work in public policy and social services in Kansas. The specific fields of her undergraduate and graduate studies are not detailed in available sources, though her professional career prior to entering politics involved work related to recreation and policy development at the state level.

Career

Kansas State Senate (2005–2019)

Kelly began her career in elected office when she won a seat in the Kansas Senate, representing the 18th district. She first took office on January 10, 2005, succeeding Republican Dave Jackson. The 18th district encompassed portions of the Topeka metropolitan area in northeastern Kansas.

During her time in the state senate, Kelly served on several committees and became particularly involved in budget and fiscal matters. She was a member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, a position that gave her significant influence over the state's budgetary process. Her work on the committee placed her at the center of debates over state spending, taxation, and education funding — issues that dominated Kansas politics throughout the 2010s, particularly in the aftermath of the large-scale income tax cuts signed by Republican Governor Sam Brownback in 2012.

Kelly won reelection to the Kansas Senate multiple times. In the 2008 general election, she retained her seat in the 18th district. She was again reelected in 2012 and in 2016.

In 2009, Kelly briefly explored a run for the United States House of Representatives, considering a bid for the Kansas 2nd congressional district seat. However, she ultimately decided against entering the race.

Throughout her 14 years in the state senate, Kelly focused on issues including public education funding, fiscal responsibility, and child welfare. Her legislative record in these areas became a central component of her eventual gubernatorial campaign.

2018 Gubernatorial Campaign

Kelly announced her candidacy for governor of Kansas in 2018, entering the Democratic primary. She ran on a platform that emphasized restoring fiscal stability to the state, increasing education funding, and expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The 2018 election cycle in Kansas drew considerable national attention, in part because the Republican primary featured a competitive race between then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a prominent ally of President Donald Trump, and incumbent Governor Jeff Colyer, who had assumed office after Brownback's resignation to become U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.

Kobach narrowly won the Republican primary in August 2018, setting up a general election contest with Kelly that became one of the most closely watched governor's races in the country. Kelly's campaign attracted notable bipartisan support, with more than two dozen Republican state lawmakers endorsing her candidacy over their own party's nominee. This crossover support reflected dissatisfaction among some Kansas Republicans with Kobach's candidacy and with the fiscal legacy of the Brownback tax cuts.

During the campaign, Kelly positioned herself as a pragmatic, centrist candidate who could work across party lines. She emphasized her experience on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and her record of bipartisan cooperation in the legislature.

Independent candidate Greg Orman also ran in the general election, adding an additional dynamic to the race.

On November 6, 2018, Kelly defeated Kobach, winning the general election. The result was characterized by some media outlets as an upset, given Kansas's strong Republican lean in statewide elections. Kelly's victory made her only the third Democratic governor elected in Kansas since 1966, following John Carlin and Kathleen Sebelius.

Governor of Kansas (2019–present)

First Term (2019–2023)

Kelly was inaugurated as the 48th governor of Kansas on January 14, 2019, succeeding Jeff Colyer. Her lieutenant governor was Lynn Rogers, who served until he was appointed Kansas State Treasurer, at which point David Toland assumed the role of lieutenant governor.

As governor, Kelly faced the challenge of governing with a legislature controlled by Republican supermajorities in both chambers. This dynamic meant that many of her legislative proposals required significant bipartisan negotiation, and that the legislature possessed the ability to override her vetoes. Kelly's first term was dominated by several major issues, including education funding, efforts to expand Medicaid, and the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kelly's handling of the COVID-19 crisis brought her into conflict with the Republican-controlled legislature on multiple occasions, as disputes arose over the scope of the governor's emergency powers and the implementation of public health measures. Despite these tensions, Kelly maintained her emphasis on bipartisan cooperation and pragmatic governance.

Kelly's push for Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act was a recurring theme of her first term. Kansas remained one of a handful of states that had not expanded Medicaid, and Kelly repeatedly advocated for expansion, framing it as both a healthcare and an economic issue. However, the Republican-controlled legislature did not advance expansion legislation during her first term.

Reelection in 2022

Kelly ran for reelection in 2022 and won a second term, defeating Republican nominee Derek Schmidt, the state's attorney general. Her reelection campaign again centered on themes of fiscal stability, education investment, and bipartisan governance. The victory was notable in that it occurred in a midterm election cycle in which Republicans made gains in many other states, and it underscored Kelly's ability to maintain support among moderate and independent voters in Kansas.

Second Term (2023–present)

Kelly's second term has continued to be characterized by tensions with the Republican-controlled legislature, particularly on social and cultural issues. In February 2026, Kelly vetoed House Substitute for Senate Bill 244, legislation that would restrict which bathrooms transgender individuals could use in public buildings and impose requirements related to sex designations on driver's licenses. The Kansas Legislature subsequently overrode the veto on February 18, 2026, enacting the bill into law despite Kelly's opposition.

On economic and agricultural development, Kelly has continued to pursue investment in Kansas's technology sector. In February 2026, she announced a $3 million award to Kelly Hills Unmanned Systems through the Kansas Department of Agriculture to develop unmanned aerial systems technology for agricultural research, reflecting her administration's interest in supporting both agriculture and technological innovation in the state.

Kelly has also continued to exercise emergency powers when necessary, including issuing a state of disaster emergency proclamation in January 2026 in advance of a major winter storm threatening the state.

In February 2026, Kelly appeared on CBS's Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan alongside governors from Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio, discussing issues relevant to Midwestern states.

Personal Life

Kelly has two children. She resides in Topeka, Kansas, the state capital, where she has lived for much of her adult life. Kelly relocated to Kansas after completing her graduate education in Indiana, and she has maintained deep ties to the Topeka community through her decades of public service in the state. Prior to entering elected office, she was involved in policy work and services related to recreation and children's welfare in Kansas.

Details regarding her personal life beyond her immediate family and residence are limited in publicly available sources. Kelly has generally maintained a distinction between her public duties and her private life throughout her political career.

Recognition

Kelly's 2018 gubernatorial victory drew national media coverage as a notable Democratic win in a state that had voted Republican in every presidential election since 1964. Her ability to attract crossover Republican support — with more than two dozen Republican state lawmakers endorsing her over their own party's nominee — was cited as an unusual feature of the race.

Her reelection in 2022 further solidified her standing as one of the few Democratic governors to win in a traditionally Republican state during a cycle that favored Republicans in many parts of the country. Kelly has been featured in national media discussions about the future of centrist and bipartisan governance, including her February 2026 appearance on Face the Nation.

Her vetoes of legislation related to social and cultural issues, including the 2026 veto of Senate Bill 244 regarding transgender bathroom restrictions, have also drawn significant media attention, placing her at the center of national debates over transgender rights and the role of gubernatorial vetoes in states with supermajority legislatures.

Legacy

As of 2026, Kelly remains in office and her legacy continues to develop. Her tenure as governor has been defined by the challenge of Democratic governance in a Republican-leaning state, requiring consistent negotiation and compromise with a legislature controlled by the opposing party. Kelly is only the third Democrat to serve as governor of Kansas since 1966, following John Carlin and Kathleen Sebelius, and only the second to win reelection.

Kelly's emphasis on education funding, fiscal responsibility, and bipartisan cooperation has formed the core of her governing identity. Her administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, her repeated advocacy for Medicaid expansion, and her vetoes of socially conservative legislation have placed her within national discussions about the role of Democratic governors in Republican-dominated states.

Her ability to attract Republican endorsements and win elections in Kansas has been studied as an example of how centrist Democratic candidates can compete in states that trend Republican at the federal level. The Kansas City Star, the Lawrence Journal-World, and national outlets have covered her political career as reflective of broader trends in American politics regarding partisan polarization and the viability of cross-party appeal.

The archival records related to Kelly's gubernatorial administration are maintained as part of the state of Kansas's public record collections.