Governor Laura Kelly
Governor Laura Kelly grew up in a career military family where she learned the importance of service, integrity, and accountability. She has made it her life's work to fight for children and families as a four-term state senator and now in her second term as the 48th Governor of the State of Kansas.
In her first term, Governor Kelly worked with both parties to balance the budget, fully fund schools, repair the state's infrastructure, reform the child welfare system, and break records for business investment and job creation. She ended her first term with the largest budget surplus in history – while eliminating the state sales tax on food and cutting property and income taxes for Kansas families.
After putting Kansas back on track, Governor Kelly was re-elected to a second term, which began on January 9, 2023.
Governor Kelly has set a North Star for her second term – to make Kansas the best place in the country to raise a family. She will continue to do this by prioritizing fiscal responsibility, creating programs to make housing and early childhood more affordable, attracting good paying jobs, providing access to high-speed internet, and implementing a long-term, sustainable water plan for Kansas.
Governor Kelly has two grown daughters, Molly Daughety, MD, Kathleen Daughety and her husband Mathias Weiden, and one grandchild, Laura "Rory" Weiden.
The Governor leads the state government. The Governor signs or vetoes bills passed by the legislature, proposes the state budget, appoints agency heads and, in many states, judges, and commands the state's National Guard. In most states the Governor can also grant pardons.
