Latest news with #JohnsonCounty-based
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Johnson County surgeon was once Kansas governor. He wants the job again
Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer is poised to run again for governor, naming a treasurer on Monday and signaling a coming campaign. Colyer, a Johnson County-based surgeon, has remained involved in Kansas politics since spending nearly a year as governor in 2018 after Gov. Sam Brownback resigned. Most recently, he chaired President Donald Trump's campaign operation in Kansas. But in deciding to run, Colyer is once again seeking election as governor – an accomplishment that has eluded him. Colyer narrowly lost the 2018 Republican primary for governor to Kris Kobach. He ran again ahead of the 2022 governor's race but dropped out, citing a prostate cancer diagnosis. On Monday, Colyer announced he was naming Rep. Kyle Hoffman, a Coldwater Republican, as his campaign treasurer. In a statement, Colyer said Hoffman will be a 'huge asset as we carry our winning message to every county in Kansas.' Colyer's announcement didn't formally unveil his campaign, but made clear he is running. 'Jeff is more than a politician, he is a humanitarian – selflessly serving those in need around the world. He'll make a great Governor,' Hoffman said in a statement. Colyer marks the latest entrant into what is expected to be a crowded Republican field. Secretary of State Scott Schwab, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O'Hara and right-wing podcaster Doug Billings are already running. Senate President Ty Masterson and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt are also widely expected to run. It was Trump's endorsement of Kobach on the eve of the 2018 Republican primary that likely proved decisive in a razor-thin contest before Kobach went on to lose to Democrat Laura Kelly in the general election. After sharing news of his cancer diagnosis, Colyer bowed out of the 2022 race and endorsed Derek Schmidt, who also lost to Kelly. If he wins the race, Colyer will become the first Johnson County governor elected in more than 50 years. Originally from Hays, Colyer now lives and works in Overland Park, where he has a plastic surgery practice. He earned his M.D. from the University of Kansas School of Medicine after previously receiving a bachelor's degree in economics from Georgetown University and a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge. In 2024, Colyer spent a month in Ukraine, working with the International Medical Corps to help advise doctors. Colyer has traveled to other conflict zones with the non-profit aid group in the past, including Soviet-controlled Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan. As governor in 2018, Colyer signed into law a school funding increase that brought the state substantially closer to complying with state Supreme Court opinions to enhance funding. The Legislature passed a further enhancement in 2019 under Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly that brought the state into compliance. Colyer, who had been lieutenant governor under Brownback, also sought to shift the tone in the governor's office after Brownback's standing among lawmakers and the public suffered during a budget crisis stemming from his signature income tax cuts. He lost an intense primary contest against Kobach that remained unresolved for several days after the August 2018 election. Ultimately, Kobach prevailed by 343 votes – the tightest primary fight for governor in state history.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Westwood voters reject contentious park sale, ending years-long saga over redevelopment
Westwood residents voted by a slim majority to reject the sale of a city park as part of a controversial commercial development project, a win for a group of citizens who had pushed for voters to have a say in the park's fate through a petition and a months-long legal battle. According to unofficial election results, 441 people voted against the sale, while 394 people voted in favor of the change. Of Westwood's 1,432 registered voters, 837 people turned out during this special election — representing a little over 58% of the city's voters. Westwood City Council members moved to put the question of whether the city would sell Joe D. Dennis Park before the public on the April 1 ballot in December. 'We won,' said Beckie Brown, one of the citizens who pushed for the vote, in a statement released by her attorneys. 'Democracy won. The City is finally doing what we've been asking them to do for over a year: hold an election.' In a statement, Ryan Kriegshauser, one of Brown's attorneys, said in recent months that Westwood citizens had been 'bullied, threatened, and shut out of conversations' around the sale of the park. 'One woman's tenacity all the way through a Court of Appeals victory finally broke the dam,' he said. 'Because of one 'mere' citizen, voters will have the final say on what happens to their park.' The city has been pursuing a project that would have seen Johnson County-based Karbank Real Estate Company build an office and retail development on the land off Rainbow Boulevard. The site also includes the former Westwood View Elementary School, as well as a piece of vacant city property previously occupied by the Westwood Christian Church. The company agreed to pay off city debt on the church property and offered to buy the school property, which would be redeveloped into a new park. The decision to give voters a say on the sale came as part of a winding saga that included an effort from citizens to halt the sale through the petition process and an appeal by Brown to the Kansas Court of Appeals, which sent the matter back to a Johnson County judge for further proceedings. 'Simply put, this spring, the residents of Westwood will have the opportunity to vote on this question, as has been requested by many in petitions, legal briefings, websites, yard signs, and social media posts,' Mayor David Waters wrote in an announcement about the vote. 'The City Council trusts that—regardless of the outcome—the results of this election will be respected by the residents of Westwood. As Mayor, I can certainly commit that the City will respect this process and the ultimate decision made by our Westwood community.' This story contains previous reporting from Sarah Ritter and Eric Adler.
