TOPEKA -- Salina Representative J.R. Claeys has announced that he is seeking the Republican nomination for Kansas Senate District 24.
Incumbent Sen. Randall Hardy has also filed to run for the Kansas Senate District 24 seat.
The district covers all of Saline County, including Salina, and the northern half of Dickinson County, including the city of Abilene.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve in the Kansas House of Representatives from the district where I was born and raised,” said Claeys. “Together, we’ve grown opportunities for new jobs and fought back against budgets that take funds out of our region. Now it’s time to take that fight to the Senate.”
Claeys was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 2012, winning re-election by large margins in 2014, 2016 and 2018. He is known as a conservative fighter in the Kansas Legislature. Claeys is consistently rated A+ by the National Rifle Association and has been endorsed in each of his eight Statehouse races by Kansans for Life, a news release from Claeys noted.
“Republican voters of the 24th District deserve a choice in this election,” said Claeys. “There will be a stark choice between me, supporting the Republican Party platform, and my opponent who has caucused with Democrats.”
Claeys was recently elected by members of the Kansas Republican Party to serve as a delegate to the 2020 Republican National Convention. He is employed by the Trump Victory campaign as a regional field director.
“I share the values of the people I serve,” said Claeys. “The values of life, faith and family that unite all of us as Republicans.”
Claeys is married to Caitlin Claeys, who works for the Salina School District. They serve as Republican precinct committeeman and committeewoman for Precinct 31. Their son, Grayson, attends Salina Catholic schools.