Summary
Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, leads a state where President Trump had significant support in the past. She focuses on local issues rather than national politics, which helped her win elections in a predominantly Republican state. Kelly also played a key role in recent Democratic successes in other states as the chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
Key Facts
- Laura Kelly is the Democratic Governor of Kansas, a state President Trump won by 16 points.
- She chairs the Democratic Governors Association and helped elect Democrats to governorships.
- Laura Kelly chose to focus on Kansas policies rather than national politics.
- She was elected governor in 2018 and re-elected in 2022.
- Before becoming governor, she served 14 years as a state senator in Kansas.
- Kelly’s predecessor, Sam Brownback, left the state in economic trouble after large tax cuts.
- As DGA chair, she influenced the elections of Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger in Virginia.
