Lynn Rogers (politician)

Lynn Rogers
Born	(1958-09-11) September 11, 1958 Fremont, Nebraska, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Businessman, politician
Years active	1980–present
Known for	41st Kansas State Treasurer, 51st Lieutenant Governor of Kansas
Notable work	Kansas State Treasurer (2021–2023), Lieutenant Governor of Kansas (2019–2021), Kansas Senate (2017–2019)

Lynn Wayne Rogers (born September 11, 1958) is an American businessman and politician who held the position of the 41st Kansas State Treasurer from 2021 until 2023. Prior to that, he served as the 51st lieutenant governor of Kansas between 2019 and 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, Rogers was a board member of Wichita Public Schools from 2001 through 2017 and represented the 25th district of west Wichita in the Kansas Senate from 2017 to 2019.

Early life and education

Born in Fremont, Nebraska on September 11, 1958, Rogers was raised in a Republican household on a large hog farm located in rural Nebraska. His family had a history of public service; his grandfather served as a county commissioner, and his father was a member of a local school board.

He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in business administration from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1980.

Career

Following his graduation, Rogers began his career as a marketing specialist with Citibank Savings in Chicago. In 1985, he relocated with his wife to Wichita, Kansas, where he accepted a marketing position at the Farm Credit Bank of Wichita. By 1993, he had risen to vice president at CoBank Farm Credit Leasing, maintaining this role until his election to the Kansas Senate in 2016.

School district politics

During the 1990s, motivated by his involvement as a parent in public education, Rogers actively supported fundraising campaigns for Wichita Public Schools, including the bond initiative in 2000. He served on the board of Wichita School Board from 2001 until 2018.

Throughout this time, Rogers transitioned from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party, attributing his change to dissatisfaction with Republican efforts aimed at reducing funding for public education.

Kansas Senate

Rogers was elected in 2016 to represent the 25th district in the Kansas Senate, taking over from Republican Michael O'Donnell. His legislative agenda focused on reversing tax policies implemented under Governors Brownback and Colyer, while promoting increased investment in education. His key policy interests included education, agriculture, and banking. Senator Laura Kelly, seated beside him, served as an influential mentor during his tenure.

Lieutenant governor

On May 24, 2018, Senator Kelly chose Rogers as her running mate for the 2018 Kansas gubernatorial election. The Kelly-Rogers ticket triumphed over Republican Kris Kobach and independent Greg Orman on November 6, 2018. With this victory, Rogers became Wichita’s first lieutenant governor since Democrat Thomas Docking held the office in the 1980s. In this capacity, he represented Kansas on official trips and conducted extensive outreach across more than half of the state’s 105 counties.

Kansas Treasurer

In December 2020, Governor Laura Kelly appointed Rogers as Kansas State Treasurer to fill the vacancy created when Jake LaTurner was elected to the United States House of Representatives. Rogers officially took office on January 2, 2021; David Toland succeeded him as lieutenant governor. He sought election for a full term as treasurer during the 2022 Kansas State Treasurer election, but was defeated by Republican State Representative Steven C. Johnson.

Personal life

Rogers is wed to Kris Rogers. Their adult children include a son serving as a staff attorney for the Oklahoma Supreme Court, a daughter working as an educator in the Kansas City region, and another son engaged with the arts scene in Wichita.

External links

• Official government site

• Campaign website