{{short description|American politician}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Jeff Klemp | image = | caption = | state_senate = Kansas | district = 5th | term_start = January 13, 2025 | term_end = | predecessor = Jeff Pittman | successor = | birth_name = | birth_date = | birth_place = Leavenworth County, Kansas, U.S. | party = Republican | spouse = | children = | education = University of Kansas<br>Baker University (MBA) }} '''Jeff Klemp''' is an American politician serving as a member of the Kansas Senate from the 5th district since 2025.
==Early life and education== Klemp is a lifelong resident of Leavenworth County, Kansas.<ref name="Linn 3/15/11"/> He was raised on a farm and graduated from Leavenworth High School. He earned a degree from the University of Kansas and an MBA from Baker University.<ref>{{cite web|title=About Jeff |url=https://www.klempforkansas.com/aboutjeff}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=Citation is his campaign website, which may not be entirely objective and is not independent from the source.|date=September 2025}}
==Career== Klemp founded Century Van Lines, a transportation company and served as a member of the Fire Board of Leavenworth County. In 2011, Klemp challenged incumbent Andi Pawlowski for Ward 2 of the Lansing city council.<ref name="Linn 3/15/11">{{cite web|url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/local/2011/03/15/incumbent-challenger-vie-for-ward/63881177007/|title=Incumbent, challenger vie for Ward 2 council seat|date=March 15, 2011|access-date=September 10, 2025|first=Tim|last=Linn|website=Lincoln Journal Star}}</ref> He was defeated with 185 votes to Pawlowski's 222.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollandsentinel.com/story/news/local/2011/04/06/lansing-city-council-results/63010431007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z111507u112007e009800v111507&gca-ft=202&gca-ds=sophi|title=Lansing City Council results|date=April 6, 2011|access-date=September 10, 2011|website=The Leavenworth Times}}</ref> He served as chief restructuring officer of Basil Street Pizza, a vending machine company.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thespoon.tech/basil-street-pizza-taking-final-bids-for-assets-to-pizza-robot-business/|title=Basil Street Pizza Taking Final Bids For Assets to Pizza Robot Business|date=May 5, 2022|access-date=September 11, 2025|website=The Spoon|last=Wolf|first=Michael}}</ref>
==Kansas Senate== ===Elections=== In 2024, Klemp ran for the Kansas Senate challenging incumbent Democrat Jeff Pittman for the 5th district. The race attracted large amounts of spending, including $100,000 supporting Klemp from the Kansas Republican Senatorial Committee and $54,000 supporting Pittman governor Laura Kelly's Middle of the Road PAC.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kansasreflector.com/2024/11/01/kansas-republican-committees-democratic-governors-pac-spend-big-on-battleground-races/|title=Kansas Republican committees, Democratic governor's PAC spend big on battleground races|last=Kaminski|first=Anna|date=November 1, 2025|access-date=September 11, 2025|website=Kansas Reflector}}</ref> Following a recount by the Kansas Secretary of State, Klemp was declared the winner by 31 votes. He attributed his victory, as well as the Kansas Republican Party expanding its supermajorities in the House and Senate, to concerns on taxes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/06/new-republican-kansas-senators-say-tax-concerns-led-to-larger-supermajorities/|title=New Republican Kansas senators say tax concerns led to larger supermajorities|last=Hills|first=Grace|date=January 6, 2025|access-date=September 10, 2025|website=Kansas Reflector}}</ref>
===Tenure=== In 2025, Klemp advocated for Sales Tax and Revenue (STAR) bonds to be used to redevelop shopping malls.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://kansasreflector.com/2025/03/10/kansas-house-members-scrutinize-senate-plan-to-rehab-malls-with-star-bonds/|title=Kansas House members scrutinize Senate plan to rehab malls with STAR bonds|last=Smith|first=Sherman|date=March 10, 2025|access-date=September 10, 2025|website=Kansas Reflector}}</ref>
==Electoral history== {{Election box open primary begin no change| title= 2024 Kansas Senate election, District 5}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Jeff Klemp |votes = 3,174 |percentage = 59.30 }} {{Election box candidate with party link no change |party = Republican Party (United States) |candidate = Echo Van Meteren |votes = 2,178 |percentage = 40.70 }} {{Election box total no change | votes = 5,352 | percentage = 100.00 }} {{Election box open primary general election no change}} {{Election box winning candidate with party link no change | candidate = Jeff Klemp | party = Republican Party (United States) | votes = 15,732 | percentage = 50.05 }}{{Election box candidate with party link no change | candidate = Jeff Pittman (incumbent) | party = Democratic Party (United States) | votes = 15,701 | percentage = 49.95 }}{{Election box total no change | votes = 31,433 | percentage = 100.00 }}{{Election box gain with party link no change |winner = Republican Party (United States) |loser = Democratic Party (United States) }} {{Election box end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Kansas State Senators}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Klemp, Jeff}} Category:Living people Category:University of Kansas alumni Category:Baker University alumni Category:21st-century members of the Kansas Legislature Category:Republican Party Kansas state senators Category:People from Lansing, Kansas Category:Year of birth missing (living people)