And there is no certainty about when he might actually depart this stage, even after the White House on Monday renominated him for the post. The entire matter has left some Kansans befuddled, some Democratic lawmakers smug, and some Brownback supporters a little sheepish.

Some Kansans said that it was not entirely clear who was truly in charge of the state, and for how long.

“From day to day, no, we don’t know,” said Jay Armstrong, a carpenter, as he picked up a hot dog at a gas station in Topeka on Monday morning. “Are we going to wait until we vote for a new governor? Or are we going to be governor-less?”

It has been nearly six months since Mr. Brownback, 61, announced that he would be leaving for a new job during his second term as governor. The holdup appears to be in Washington: A Senate committee held a hearing on his nomination and narrowly endorsed him in October, but he did not receive a vote in the full Senate.

A new year has brought new complications. Though Mr. Brownback has been renominated to the post, a relatively low-profile appointment, he will still have to be confirmed by the Senate. Meanwhile, Mr. Colyer, who is 57 and from suburban Kansas City, is in the wings, a patient deputy waiting for his moment. Mr. Brownback is planning to deliver the annual State of the State address in Topeka on Tuesday.