J.R. Claeys1
Born as Jeremy Ryan Claeys on February 13, 1978, J.R. Claeys is a prominent member of the Kansas Senate and a former member of the Kansas House of Representatives. He was raised in Salina, Kansas, a place he is proud to represent in the Statehouse.
Education: Claeys is a well-educated individual. He graduated from Kansas State University where he studied media. Further, he holds an M.P.A. from the prestigious George Washington University School of Business.
Political Career: Claeys’ political journey began when he was first elected in 2012 to the Kansas House of Representatives. His dedication and hard work led to his re-election in 2014, 2016, and 2018. In 2020, Claeys ran for the Kansas Senate and won the election to a four-year term in a landslide. He currently serves as the vice chairman of the budget-writing Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
Claeys represents the 24th District which includes all of Saline County and most of Dickinson County. He was also the former State Representative for West Salina and Northwest Saline County, and was elected to the 69th District.
Professional Career: In addition to his political career, Claeys works as vice president of the nation’s largest Republican campaign firm, Axiom Strategies. He is also a Senior Advisor to Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach.
Claeys has also worked as the president and CEO of the National Association of Government Contractors and as communications director of the National Small Business Association. He was the campaign manager for the 2018 campaign of Kris Kobach for Kansas governor and Wink Hartman for Kansas lieutenant governor.
Personal Life: The youngest of three and a fifth-generation Kansan, Claeys was raised in a middle-class family in Salina. He is committed to building a region that is a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
