Trump nominates ex-Gov. Jeff Colyer for ambassadorship after snub in Kansas GOP primary

Matthew Kelly, The Kansas City Star on Nov 10, 2026

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Five months after President Donald Trump passed him over to endorse Ty Masterson in the Republican gubernatorial primary, former Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer has been nominated to join the Trump administration.

Trump on Monday picked Colyer to serve as ambassador to the oil-rich United Arab Emirates.

The Johnson County surgeon was among 22 administration nominations that the White House sent to the U.S. Senate on Monday to begin the legislative confirmation process.

The news came five months after Colyer dropped out of the race for Kansas governor in June after losing out on Trump’s endorsement.

“For me, there are many ways to serve, and I shall continue to do so with every fiber of my being,” Colyer said in statement after abandoning his campaign for governor.

Colyer was elevated from lieutenant governor to governor in 2018, serving for a year after former Gov. Sam Brownback accepted an appointment to become Trump’s ambassador for international religious freedom.

In a social media post on Tuesday morning, Republican U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran congratulated Colyer and vowed to support him during the confirmation process.

“He has a proven record of public service, principled leadership and steadfast commitment to improving the lives of Kansans and the American people,” Moran said. “I am confident he will represent our country well on the world stage.”

The U.S. has had a friendly relationship with the UAE since its founding in 1971. In 2024, then-President Joe Biden officially recognized the country as a major defense partner, a designation that allows for close military cooperation.

Colyer’s political background

The Kansas governor race remains too close to call amid a statutorily mandated audit, but Democrat Cindy Holscher’s lead over Masterson has grown in the week since Election Day with the arrival of postmarked mail ballots.

This wasn’t the first year that Trump dashed Colyer’s gubernatorial aspirations.

In 2018, when Colyer was the sitting governor, Trump intervened in the Republican primary to support now-Attorney General Kris Kobach — a move that likely proved decisive, as Kobach defeated Colyer by fewer than 350 votes before losing out to Democrat Laura Kelly.

After the snub, Colyer remained a loyal supporter of Trump, going on to serve as chair of his 2024 campaign operation in Kansas. Colyer received a shoutout from the president during his campaign rally in suburban Sedgwick County last month.

Colyer earned a doctorate degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine after previously receiving a bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge.

In 2024, Colyer spent a month in Ukraine, working with the International Medical Corps to help advise doctors. Colyer has traveled to other conflict zones with the non-profit aid group in the past, including Soviet-controlled Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sudan.

Colyer did not immediately return a phone call on Tuesday.

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