The Governor of Kansas is the head of the executive branch of Kansas's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has a duty to enforce state laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Kansas Legislature, to convene the legislature at any time, and to grant pardons. The governor has a 4-year term, commencing on the second Monday of January after election. The governor originally had a 2-year term; this was changed to four years by a constitutional amendment in 1974. The lieutenant governor is elected at the same time as the governor. When the office of governor becomes vacant for any reason, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the term. Since becoming a state, Kansas has had 47 governors. The state's longest-serving governors were Robert Docking, John W. Carlin, and Bill Graves, each of whom served 8 years and 4 days. The shortest-serving governor was John McCuish, who served only 11 days after the resignation of Fred Hall. The current governor is DemocratLaura Kelly, who took office on January 14, 2019.
History
The office was created in 1861 when Kansas was officially admitted to the United States as the 34th state. Prior to statehood in 1861, the office was preceded by a Presidential appointed Governor of Kansas Territory with similar powers. Despite being an executive branch official, the Governor also possesses legislative and judicial powers. The Governor's responsibilities include making yearly "State of the State" addresses to the Kansas Legislature, submitting the budget, ensuring that state laws are enforced, and that the peace is preserved.
Gubernatorial term of office and requirements for running
There is no lifetime limit on the number of times he or she may be elected, but a governor who has been elected to two consecutive terms must be out of office for at least one election cycle before being eligible once again for re-election. Elections occur at the same time as the Congressional midterm elections, and each term begins on the second Monday of January following the election. The lieutenant governor is subject to the same limitations and runs on a combined ticket with the governor. From the establishment of the state in 1859 with the Wyandotte Constitution until 2018, there was neither an age requirement nor a residency requirement to run for the office; as of 2017 three Kansan teenagers were doing so. In 2018, a law was passed establishing the age to run for Governor and Lieutenant Governor at 25, beginning with the 2022 election. If the governor becomes incapacitated, the lieutenant governor assumes the duties of the governor. However, if both offices become vacant, the line of succession is determined by the legislature. Under present law, the President of the Senate would be next in line to assume the governorship, followed by the Speaker of the House.
A small part of Kansas was once claimed as part of the Republic of Texas.
Governors of Kansas
The eastern bulk of Kansas Territory was admitted to the Union as Kansas on January 29, 1861; the remainder become unorganized territory which would shortly be assigned to Colorado Territory. The Kansas Constitution provided that a governor and lieutenant governor be elected every 2 years. An amendment in 1972 increased terms to four years,, and provided that the governor and lieutenant governor are elected on the same ticket. In the original constitution, should the office of governor be vacant, the powers would devolve upon the lieutenant governor, who nonetheless would remain in that office; an amendment in 1972 changed that so that, in such an event, the lieutenant governor becomes governor, and relies on the legislature to provide for succession after that.
