Former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer quietly bowed out of the governor’s race on Monday when he didn’t officially file for the office as the deadline lapsed at noon.
Colyer had been officially campaigning for governor since May 2025 and unofficially starting earlier as he structured a campaign built on his support for President Donald Trump.
There was no official word from Colyer’s campaign on Monday.
Trump endorsed Senate President Ty Masterson about a week ago and Colyer’s campaign has been quiet for days. A spokesperson for the campaign was last reached on May 18 and since then has been dark.
Traditional representatives for the governor could not be reached after the filing deadline lapsed at noon on Monday.
There had been widespread speculation that Colyer would be offered a job in the Trump administration – possible an ambassadorship – but there’s been no word about that either.
Colyer had banked on an endorsement from Trump in 2018 and again this year but failed to get secure the president’s support either time.
In 2018, Trump’s endorsement was attributed to tilting the primary to then-Secretary of State Kris Kobach and in 2026 it could be a boon to Masterson.
The Trump endorsement was a blow to the other Republican candidates seeking the nomination, especially Colyer, who has been positioning himself as a supporter of the president’s for years.
Colyer staked out a position as a staunch campaign Trump supporter early on, endorsing him for president as early as 2023.
Colyer endorsed Trump for a second term as president, saying he “could be transformative for the health and wellbeing of every American.”
In a column published by Newsweek, Colyer said he met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida where they talked about health challenges facing the country.
“Most people don’t realize how much President Trump did for health care in his first term, but he has a remarkable record,” Colyer said in his column.
“But what is more important is the road ahead. He made it clear he intends to follow through for the American people,” he said.
He chaired Trump’s campaign for president in Kansas 2024.
A nonproft social welfare group called Kansas 1st Inc. that supports Colyer also held an event celebrating the first 100 days of Trump’s second term in office.
He had spent or booked more than half a million dollars on television ads that aligned him with the president.
The Republican field for governor now includes Masterson, Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt, Secretary of State Scott Schwab, Johnson County businessman Philip Sarnecki, former Johnson County Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara and Wichita businesswoman Stacy Rogers.
Wichita businesswoman Joy Eakins dropped out but joined Sarnecki’s campaign as his running mate.
