Kansas has long been viewed as a reliable Republican state. Why not? It’s been decades since Kansas has been anything but a Republican stronghold in many races. in 2018, however, Kansas elected an openly gay Native American woman to US Congress, and sent Kris Kobach packing as the Democratic party took the governorship with Laura Kelly.
The retirement of Pat Roberts for 2020 has left the Republican field with a lot of contenders, but no standout, and the party could certainly nominate Kris Kobach again for a statewide contest. As first quarter fundraising reporting comes in, it is apparent that Kansas Democratic party members believe that they have a shot at the race — and State Senator Barbara Bollier’s fundraising of $2.35M in the quarter tops all candidates in the field.
From The Kansas City Star:
State Sen. Bollier raised $2.35 million during the first three months of 2020 in her quest to become the first Kansas Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate since 1932.
The Mission Hills Democrat, who left the Republican party at the end of 2018 because of opposition to President Donald Trump, more than doubled her fundraising in the fourth quarter of 2019, when she collected $1.17 million. It puts her six-month take at roughly $3.5 million.
Bollier’s strong showing will likely fuel national Republicans’ anxieties about the race to replace retiring GOP Sen. Pat Roberts.
Republicans are anxious because they have no idea who the Republican candidate will be going into November. Their field is large:
- David Lindstrom, former county commissioner of Johnson County, Chiefs football player
- Susan Wagle, current Senate President
- Kris Kobach, former Secretary of State, last ran for State Governor
- Bob Hamilton, self funding millionare owner of a plumbing firm
- Roger Marshall, Congressman from Kansas first district
Because of the size of the field, there is a lot of uncertainty as to who will be their candidate, and with the Kansas primary happening in August, there will be less time to quickly unify around a candidate. After Republicans failed to recruit Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to come home and run for US Senate, everything went up in the air.
National Republicans dislike the idea of spending significant resources in a state like Kansas. Too bad.