The re-election bid of Republican Sen. Pat Roberts got a double dose of bad news Wednesday, with a court deciding Democrats won't have to run a candidate on the November ballot — and a new poll showing the incumbent trailing his opponent, independent Greg Orman.
The district court ruling rejected a Democratic voter's petition to force his party to replace its initial Senate nominee, Chad Taylor,
The Hill reports.
Kansas Secretary of State
Kris Kobach, a Republican, had fought, and lost, a court bid to keep Taylor on the ticket.
"Orman has gained from Democratic nominee Chad Taylor’s dropping out of the race in September, and now he’s presenting a solid challenge to longtime Senator Pat Roberts," David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center in Boston, said in a news release.
"Orman has dabbled in both Republican and Democratic politics over the years and says he will be a moderate in the tradition of Kansan Bob Dole, so it will be interesting to see whether this fresh face will prevail…."
The latest ruling flattens one of the biggest barriers to Orman's contest against the vulnerable Roberts — and comes as a
Suffolk University/USA Today poll shows him leading Roberts, 46 percent to 41 percent.
The Hill noted Orman's crossover appeal was far stronger than Roberts, with the independent drawing 30 percent of Republicans while Roberts appeals to just 9 percent of Democrats. Independents favor Orman by 5 points, the poll found.
The poll's margin of error is plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Other poll findings illustrated Roberts's unpopularity with voters; 39 percent view both candidates favorably, but only a quarter view Orman unfavorably, while 47 percent have a negative view of Roberts.
The incumbent's job approval rating was similarly underwater; 49 percent disapprove of the job he’s doing, while 37 percent approve — about even with President Barack Obama in terms of job approval, The Hill notes.
Orman's latest ad capitalizes on what he portrays as the weaknesses of both parties.
"The truth is, both parties are more interested in political games than problem solving ... and both parties are failing Kansas," Orman says in the ad.
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