Kris Kobach faces Republican opposition to his Senate bid before he even kicks off his campaign.
“Just last year, Kris Kobach ran and lost to a Democrat. Now, he wants to do the same and simultaneously put President Trump’s presidency and Senate majority at risk. We know Kansans won’t let that happen, and we look forward to watching the Republican candidate they do choose win next fall,” Joanna Rodriguez, spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, told the Kansas City Star.
Kobach, a Republican, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Monday, hours before he was set to give a speech announcing his campaign for a Senate seat.
In 2018, Kobach narrowly beat then-Gov. Jeff Colyer in the primary after a last-minute endorsement from Trump, but he lost his gubernatorial bid to Democrat Laura Kelly in the reliably Republican state.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee previously said it has met with several candidates it believes can beat Kobach in the primary.
Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner and former Johnson County Commissioner Dave Lindstrom are also running for the Republican nomination to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.
