Democratic Gov.-elect Laura Kelly will keep former Olathe Mayor Larry Campbell on board as state budget director.
Campbell, named budget director last year by outgoing Republican Gov. Jeff Colyer, is a longtime Republican who has served in city and state government.
“Larry took the helm at the Budget Office at an uncertain time because he’s a team player who wants to find solutions for Kansas. That’s exactly why I want him to continue serving in my administration,” Kelly said in a statement.
“He has proven his ability to work with lawmakers of all political stripes and to reach bipartisan compromise,” she said. “I am confident he will help steer our state back to fiscal stability.”
Campbell represented Olathe in the Kansas House from 1997 to 2005 and then again from 2012 to 2018 before leaving the Legislature last year.
As chair of the House Education Budget Committee, Campbell was credited by the Kelly transition team with guiding legislation that increased school funding that was constitutional.
Campbell served on the Olathe City Council from 1991 to 1995 and as the city’s mayor from 1995 to 2001. He is still a member of the Olathe City Council after he was re-elected to a four-year term in 2015.
