Former Kansas Governor Jeff Colyer has ended his campaign for Kansas governor, to focus on his health and seek treatment for prostate cancer.
Dr. Colyer served as the 47th governor of Kansas in 2018; before that, the Republican was the 49th lieutenant governor of Kansas from 2011-2018. Colyer served in the Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas Senate. He became governor when Sam Brownback resigned to become United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom.
The following is a letter released by the Colyer campaign:
Fellow Kansan,
I believe God put us here to make a difference in people’s lives. I chose to be a doctor to help people physically and was honored to serve as Governor and Lt. Governor to change the direction of Kansas.
We accomplished a lot. When I left the governorship there were more Kansans working than ever before and household income was at an all-time high. Kansas had a billion-dollar surplus and we saved over $2.5 billion in Medicaid while getting better results. And we protected religious liberties while advancing pro-life policies.
While I have focused my life on helping others, for the next few weeks, I am going to focus on my patients and fighting for my health. I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer like my father and grandfather. And after treatment, I am confident in a full recovery.
Given these challenges, Ruth and I have decided to withdraw from the Governor’s race and give my full support for Derek Schmidt. Kansas has felt the pain during nearly three years of Governor Kelly’s leadership. It’s time for Republicans to come together, rally around Derek Schmidt, and reclaim Cedar Crest.
I believe in the love of my life, Ruth, and the dreams of my adventurous daughters. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made for me.
I believe in the hundreds of people who helped our campaign. I want to say a special thank you to my medical and political staff, the hundreds of volunteers and contributors, and especially Colton, Pat, Kelsey, Mark, Mary Jean, David, DiAnne, Shanna, Abby, Mackenzie, and Leslie. We still have work to do.
In closing, I know each of you love America as much as I do. While some days it seems like the challenges we face are so daunting, we must continue to work towards new solutions. What I have seen throughout my time in public service and this campaign is that there are more of us than you realize. In every community in this state, there are folks standing up and fighting for our values, for our state, and for Kansas’ future generations. Our best days are ahead of us. So don’t retreat. Stay involved, just like I’m going to, because our great country, our great state, and our great people are worth fighting for.
See you soon,
Governor Jeff Colyer, M.D.
47th Governor of Kansas