John Michael Hayden (born March 16, 1944) is a retired American politician and veteran who served as the 41st governor of Kansas, from 1987 to 1991.

[4] He returned home in May 1970, and attended Fort Hays State University where he received a master's degree in biology.

It was when Nitsch voted down each bill that focused on improving the environment that Hayden turned to his wife and exclaimed "I think I'll run [for legislature]".

[5] On learning of his intent, opponent Nitsch was bemused and impartial towards the prospect of a "young kid" competing against him for his incumbent position.

Hayden was twenty-eight years old upon his entrance to the Legislative race, and to that point, there had not been a successful campaign that got a person under the age of fifty elected.

Another factor that Hayden acknowledged was that the family roots stretched deeply in the realm of politics as far as 1924 with his grandfather as mayor.

[6] Hayden had wanted to be a part of the Natural Resources Committee but knew that it was beneficial to have a deeper understanding of how government worked.

The Watergate Scandal occurred, which caused the only Democratic turnover in the state's history, and kept Hayden on the Ways and Means Committee.

After four years of chairing the Ways and Means committee, Michael Hayden was the "one person left standing" for the position of speaker.

[9] In the documentary The Kansas Governor, journalist Lew Ferguson claimed that "People will vote for candidate A or B more than based on political party or issues.

[9] In the general election, Hayden ran against personal friend Lieutenant Governor Thomas Docking.

He spent no money on advertisements, made no effort to make a lot of appearances, and attempted to save his resources.

[12] The Wichita Eagle stated that "the highway plan has changed people's lives forever in southeastern Kansas."