Jeff Colyer in the Republican primary and lost to Democratic state Sen. Laura Kelly in the general election.
[5] Claeys finished third in the primary behind former Kansas Republican Party Chairman Kris Kobach and Shawnee County Elections Commissioner Libby Ensley.
Results[6] On June 1, 2020, Representative Claeys announced that he was running for the Kansas Senate in the 24th district, challenging Sen. Randall Hardy in the Republican primary.
[17] During a September 2019 meeting of the Kansas Capitol Preservation Committee he questioned why a new plaque including the names of former governors involved in the Kansas Capitol renovation project did not include former legislative leaders involved in the planning.
[18] In 2013, he teamed with Reps. Diana Dierks and Steven C. Johnson to donate 100 gallons of milk to a Salina charity for safe exchange between parents in custody disputes, which was matched by Dillons Supermarkets.
[19] He was a member of a legislative task force in 2018 that researched and make a series of recommendations for the next Kansas transportation plan.
While seeking his second term for the Kansas House of Representatives, it was reported that Claeys had filed to run for office under his sister's address.
The listed address was controversial for many reasons, most of which revolved around a property owned by Claeys in Lawrence, Kansas.
A resident who lives in the same complex in Lawrence was quoted as saying "J.R. has a two-car garage and a stall for his boat," and "He votes on issues that come up in the Bella Sera Homeowners Association."