A race for U.S. Senate in Kansas has suddenly gained national attention as Republicans battle to pick up six seats there to gain control of that chamber.
In Kansas, incumbent Republican Sen. Pat Roberts is running against Democratic candidate Chad Taylor and Independent candidate Greg Orman and Roberts keeping his seat is part of the overall GOP strategy to achieve that goal.
According to KWCH-12, Taylor withdrew from the race Wednesday without any explanation, “raising questions about whether he quit to give independent candidate Greg Orman a better shot at defeating three-term conservative Roberts, who has struggled to solidify re-election in a predominantly Republican state.” However, as The Hill reports, Republican Secretary of State for Kansas, Kris Kobach said Thursday that although Taylor withdrew from the race he failed to meet to requirements to be removed from the ballot, in specific he failed to formally declare he would be unable to serve if elected.
His Thursday decision means Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) will face three candidates on the ballot this fall — Taylor, independent Greg Orman and libertarian Randall Batson — boosting the vulnerable senator’s reelection prospects.
In a follow-up article, KWCH-12 reports that according to Fort Hays State University professor of Political Science, Dr. Chapman Rackaway, Oman has a real chance to defeat Roberts, provided Taylor is removed from the ballot.
“Orman has put together a professional staff and he’s got plenty of money. So those two things significantly differentiate him from most of the independent candidates.”
Dr. Rackaway goes on to explain that a loss by Roberts could lead to deadlock in the Senate between Democrats and Republicans with Independents becoming the swing vote. According to Dr. Rackaway “It’s entirely possible that we could end up with 49 people caucusing for the Democrats, 49 for the Republicans and two independents.”
According to KWCH-12, “That’s why, as soon as Chad Taylor announced he was pulling out of the race, political analysts say the Roberts Campaign went to work to make sure he had to stay in.”
Friends University professor of Political Science Dr. Russell Arben Fox adds, “If they think that there’s a chance to keep Chad Taylor on the ballot, they’re going to go for it.”
Without elaborating, KWCH-12 reported late Thursday night that Taylor is filing a lawsuit to be removed from the ballot.
You can watch a clip, below, from KWCH-12:
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