Larry Alley

Larry Alley (born September 23, 1948) is an American politician who has served in the Kansas Senate from the 32nd district since 2017. Following the removal on April 9, 2021 of Gene Suellentrop from the office of Majority Leader, Alley, who was the Republican Assistant Leader, succeeded him in an acting capacity. He was subsequently elected Senate Majority Leader, and remains so (as of mid-2024).

Occupation
Alley is the former CEO of Eastside Development, in Winfield, Kansas. and a former project manger for Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita.

Politics
In 2014, Alley ran as the Republican for State Representative of the 79th District (in south-central Kansas, including most of Sumner and Cowley Counties), barely winning in initial vote counts, but ultimately lost to incumbent Democrat Ed Trimmer by 17 votes.

In 2017, Alley ran as a Republican for State Senator of the 79th District (far-south-central Kansas—including Barber, Comanche, Harper, and Sumner Counties, and parts of Sedgwick, Kingman and Cowley Counties —and won.

Alley served as Senate Assistant Majority Leader in 2021.

In April 2021, he was suddenly elevated to Acting Senate Majority Leader, immediately following the arrest of Senate Majority Leader Gene Suellentrop (on drunk-driving and resisting arrest charges). Rather than Suellentrop resigning his caucus position, Senate President Ty Masterson had said most of Suellentrop's duties would be temporarily assigned to Alley, in the words of Suellentrop, "...until matters that I am currently dealing with are resolved."

The Republican caucus elected Alley permanent majority leader at the end of the 2021 legislative session. Alley indicated his priority was focused on redistricting.

In 2024, Alley declared intent to run for re-election.

Leadership and committees
Alley, in 2024, continued in the post of Senate Majority Leader.

In 2024, he chaired the Confirmation Committee (overseeing gubernatorial appointments) and the Executive Committee on Ways and Means (taxes and other government-funding issues). He is (2024) Vice-chair of the Joint Committee on State-Tribal Relations (in a state that governs Indian casinos) and was Vice-chair of the 2021 Special Committee on Liquor Law Modernization.

He has been chairman of the Senate's Committee on Federal and State Affairs, and a vice chair of its Education Committee