Thread: Dem candidate drops out of Senate race in Kansas against Sen. Roberts

Dem candidate drops out of Senate race in Kansas against Sen. Roberts

Published September 03, 2014 FoxNews.com

Aug. 2, 2014: Kansas GOP Sen. Pat Roberts in a parade Saturday in Gardner.AP


The Democratic candidate in the race against Sen. Pat Roberts in Kansas ended his campaign Wednesday, leaving an independent candidate and a Libertarian candidate to face off against the three-term Republican incumbent.

Chad Taylor, a district attorney, informed the Kansas Secretary of State Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the race. Originally, his statement said "suspended," but the word was lined through and replaced with a handwritten "terminated."

Taylor issued a separate statement saying he made the decision after consulting with his staff, supporters and Democratic Party leaders. He did not give a reason.

Kansas.com reported Wednesday that Taylor's move could lead to broader support for the independent candidate in the race, Olathe businessman Greg Orman.

There is also a Libertarian candidate, Randall Batson, of Wichita.

Roberts executive campaign manager Leroy Towns issued a statement accusing Orman of engineering a "corrupt bargain" with the national Democratic Party.

Recent polls from Public Policy Polling showed Orman had a 43 percent to 33 percent lead over Roberts if the race was just between the two of them.

On the other hand, if all three candidates were in the race, 32 percent of voters picked Roberts, 25 percent picked Taylor and 23 percent picked Orman.

Orman had positioned himself as Roberts' most formidable opponent, and his fundraising was more robust than Taylor's. Orman issued a statement calling Taylor "a committed public servant."

Taylor said in a statement to Kansas.com he will continue to fight for Kansas' people even though his campaign is over.

“I have great love for the state of Kansas and the people that live here. I will continue to work in their best interest every day, but effective today, my campaign is terminated," he said.

Taylor is district attorney in Shawnee County, home of the state capital of Topeka. He won the office in 2008 and was re-elected without opposition in 2012.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014...s-sen-roberts/

Kansas Court Rules Dem's Name Must Come Off Senate Ballot

The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to comply with a Democratic Senate candidate’s request that his name be removed from the November ballot.

Usually, a political foe’s withdrawal from a race would be cause for a candidate to celebrate. But in this case, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts could now face a tougher general election against an independent – without a Democrat to split the opposition’s vote.

A recent FOX News poll showed Roberts trailing independent Greg Orman in a head-to-head matchup, 42 percent to 48 percent. Orman has not said which party he will caucus with if he wins.

Democrat Chad Taylor announced on September 3 that he was withdrawing from the race, and he submitted a letter to the Secretary of State’s office requesting to be removed from the ballot.

Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach argued that Taylor should remain on the ballot, saying the Democrat had failed to comply with a statue requiring him to demonstrate that he is incapable of serving.

The Kansas court did not agree with Kobach, writing that Taylor’s letter “fully complies with the statue.”

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/firs...ballot-n206741

Some Kansas Ballots to Have No Democrat for Senate

TOPEKA, Kan. — Sep 19, 2014, 8:05 PM ET
By JOHN HANNA and THOMAS BEAUMONT AP Political Writer

The Associated Press



Kansas will send voters living overseas a ballot for the November election with no Democratic candidate for a U.S. Senate race that has unexpectedly become one of the most hotly-contested in the nation.

But Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Friday he is not abandoning efforts to get Democrats to name a replacement candidate for Chad Taylor. The Democrat dropped out of the race earlier this month, giving independent Greg Orman a better shot at defeating three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.

Republicans are in the odd position of pushing Democrats to have a candidate. Many Democrats don't want a nominee because they see Orman as the strongest rival to Roberts and don't want to split the anti-Roberts vote.

The state Supreme Court stepped in once and is being asked to do so again.
The race in Kansas vaulted to the top tier in the national fight over control of the Senate after Roberts emerged vulnerable from a nasty primary in August. Kansas is a Republican-leaning state, but Orman, a 45-year-old Olathe businessman, is leading or close behind the 78-year-old Roberts in some recent opinion polls.

Even as Kobach directed counties to mail out overseas ballots by Saturday, he continued to argue that state law requires Democrats to pick a new candidate. The law says when a candidate vacancy occurs, it "shall" be filled by a party committee.

"Nothing has changed," said Kobach, a conservative Republican who is supporting Roberts.

The dispute over the Kansas ballot erupted earlier this month when Taylor stopped campaigning and sent a letter to Kobach's office to withdraw.

Kobach said the letter wasn't detailed enough to comply with state law, but the Kansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that it was sufficient and ordered Taylor's name removed.

Pedro Irigonegaray, a Topeka attorney who represented Taylor, said the law Kobach cites in pushing Democrats to name a replacement does not require every vacancy to be filled.

"I believe that what Mr. Kobach is saying is a perversion of the statute," Irigonegary said. "How can a secretary of state compel a candidate to run?

That's ludicrous."

That issue is before the Supreme Court because of a petition filed by a Democratic voter from Kansas City asking the justices to force Democrats to pick a new candidate. The petition was filed minutes after Thursday's Supreme Court ruling, and the voter's son works for GOP Gov. Sam Brownback's re-election campaign.

Kobach announced Thursday that he was having counties postpone the mailing of overseas ballots by a week to give Democrats time to pick a new nominee.

But Kobach's office sent them a memo Friday directing them to meet the Saturday deadline, saying he had concluded the move was "most prudent."

Each ballot will come with a disclaimer telling voters they may get a second ballot later if Democrats name a new candidate.

The disclaimer says that if Democrats pick a new candidate only the second ballot will count. Those voters will also be able to submit their ballots after the Nov. 4 election.

Douglas County Clerk Jamie Shew, a Democrat, said he and other county elections officials are worried about potential voter confusion.

Kobach noted that most of the state's 800,000 to a 1 million ballots won't be printed until later.
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Online:
Kansas Supreme Court site for the ballot dispute: http://bit.ly/1BHgcrY

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireS...spute-25613794