About Senator Jay Emler
Senator Jay Emler has represented the 35th District in central Kansas since 2001. For more than 30 years, he and his wife Lorraine have lived in rural McPherson County where he practices law and she is a registered nurse. Together, they operate a small family farm.
Legislative Leadership
In January 2011, Senator Emler was elected Senate Majority Leader, giving the 35th District a strong voice in Senate leadership. During his time in the Senate, Senator Emler has served as chairman of both Ways & Means and Utilities. He currently is chair of Confirmation Oversight and Vice Chair of the Committee on Kansas Security. He additionally serves as a member of the committees for Commerce, Utilities and Ways & Means.
Senator Emler was recently tapped to be the next chairman of The Council on State Governments (CSG), which is a national nonprofit that brings state leaders from across the country together to promote idea-sharing, problem-solving and interstate cooperation on both a regional and national basis. The Senator additionally serves on the CSG Midwest-Canada Relations committee, which examines trade relations and border security issues.
Senator Emler also served as a member of Governor Brownback’s transition team. He currently serves on the Governor’s Council on Homeland Security and as a member of the National Council on State Legislatures’ Task Force on Homeland Security.
Professional Experience
Prior to starting a law practice in McPherson, Senator Emler worked as Vice President and General Counsel for Kansas Cellular. He also served 16 years as municipal judge for Lindsborg. Senator Emler is a graduate of Bethany College where he earned a bachelor’s degree and teaching certificate. He later earned a law degree from the University of Denver College of Law. The Senator has also earned Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certification through Hutchinson Community College, and he graduated in 2008 from the Naval Postgraduate School with a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Defense.
In the Community
Senator Emler is a former member of the Lindsborg Community Hospital Board of Directors, a former director on the board of the Falun State Bank, and a 1998 graduate of Leadership Kansas. He has volunteered as an EMT, as administrator of the Lindsborg Volunteer Ambulance Corps, as an American Red Cross CPR instructor and as chairman of the Lindsborg Chapter of the McPherson County March of Dimes. Senator Emler and his wife belong to Bethany Lutheran Church. They have two daughters.
