Governor of Kansas

Governor of Kansas. The Governor of Kansas is the head of the executive branch of Kansas and serves as the chief executive of the State of Kansas, with the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka, Kansas, being the seat of the Kansas Legislature. The Kansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Kansas, located in Topeka, Kansas, near the Kansas State Capitol and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The University of Kansas and Kansas State University are two of the state's major institutions of higher education, with the Kansas Board of Regents overseeing the state's six public universities, including Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University, and Wichita State University.

History of the Office

The office of the Governor of Kansas was established in 1861, when Kansas became the 34th state to join the United States of America, with Charles L. Robinson being the first Governor of Kansas, serving from 1861 to 1863. The Kansas Constitution outlines the powers and responsibilities of the Governor of Kansas, with the Kansas Supreme Court being the highest court in the state, composed of Justices of the Kansas Supreme Court, including Lawton Nuss, Marla Luckert, and Carol A. Beier. The Kansas Court of Appeals is the intermediate appellate court, with Judges of the Kansas Court of Appeals, including Steve Leben and G. Joseph Pierron Jr., hearing cases from the state's District Courts of Kansas. The United States District Court for the District of Kansas is the federal district court with jurisdiction over Kansas, with Judges of the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, including J. Thomas Marten and John W. Lungstrum, presiding over federal cases.

Powers and Responsibilities

The Governor of Kansas has the power to Veto legislation passed by the Kansas Legislature, which is composed of the Kansas Senate and the Kansas House of Representatives, with the Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives and the President of the Kansas Senate leading the legislative chambers. The Governor of Kansas also serves as the commander-in-chief of the Kansas National Guard, with the Adjutant General of Kansas overseeing the state's military forces, including the Kansas Army National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard. The Kansas Department of Transportation is responsible for the state's transportation infrastructure, with the Secretary of Transportation of Kansas overseeing the department, while the Kansas Department of Education is responsible for the state's public education system, with the Kansas State Board of Education setting education policies.

List of Governors of Kansas

The list of Governors of Kansas includes notable figures such as George W. Glick, John W. Leedy, and Walter Roscoe Stubbs, who served as the Governor of Kansas from 1909 to 1913. Other notable governors include Alf Landon, who served from 1933 to 1937 and was the Republican Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 1936 United States presidential election, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe during World War II and later became the 34th President of the United States. The Kansas Historical Society maintains a list of all the Governors of Kansas, including Joan Finney, Bill Graves, and Kathleen Sebelius, who served as the Governor of Kansas from 2003 to 2009.

Election and Term

The Governor of Kansas is elected to a four-year term, with the Governor of Kansas election, 2018 being the most recent election, in which Laura Kelly defeated Kris Kobach to become the Governor of Kansas. The Kansas Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing the state's elections, with the Kansas Election Office providing information on voting and elections. The Federal Election Commission also plays a role in regulating federal elections in Kansas, including the United States Senate election in Kansas, 2020 and the United States House of Representatives elections in Kansas, 2020.

Governors' Residences

The Kansas Governor's Mansion is the official residence of the Governor of Kansas, located in Topeka, Kansas, near the Kansas State Capitol and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The Cedar Crest is the name of the Kansas Governor's Mansion, which was built in 1928 and has been the residence of the Governor of Kansas since 1962. The Governor's Mansion is maintained by the Kansas Historical Society and is open to the public for tours, with the Kansas Governor's Mansion Foundation supporting the preservation and maintenance of the mansion.

Current Governor

The current Governor of Kansas is Laura Kelly, who took office on January 14, 2019, and is a member of the Democratic Party. Kelly previously served in the Kansas Senate, representing the 18th district, and was a member of the Kansas Senate Committee on Ways and Means and the Kansas Senate Committee on Education. The Lieutenant Governor of Kansas is Lynn Rogers, who serves as the President of the Kansas Senate and is also a member of the Democratic Party. The Kansas Governor's Office is located in the Kansas State Capitol building in Topeka, Kansas, and is responsible for carrying out the duties of the Governor of Kansas, including working with the Kansas Legislature and overseeing the state's executive branch agencies, such as the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Commerce. Category:Governors of Kansas