Republicans fearful they could lose a Kansas Senate seat for the first time since 1932
by Naomi Lim
| May 24, 2020 12:01 AM
Republicans are worried they could jeopardize control of the Senate if a controversial ally of President Trump becomes the party's nominee for a supposedly safe seat.
Kris Kobach, Kansas's former secretary of state and failed 2018 GOP gubernatorial nominee, is running to replace retiring Sen. Pat Roberts in his home state. Yet the immigration and voter ID hardliner faces two challenges on his current quest for public office, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
If Kobach wins the Republican primary election on Aug. 4 but loses the general on Nov. 3, it will be the first time Republicans haven't held the Kansas Senate seat since 1932, the longest tenure for the party. Such a defeat could risk the Senate's balance of power, with the chamber's composition of 53 seats for the GOP and 47 for the Democratic and independent caucus likely to change.
For Republican strategist Ron Nehring, even though Kansas generally leans to the political right, the state was "absolutely capable" of electing Democrats, given the "very competitive political environment." He pointed to Kansas's Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who beat Kobach during the midterm cycle, as the most pertinent example.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/republicans-fearful-they-could-lose-a-kansas-senate-seat-for-the-first-time-since-1932
