TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court has ordered the state to remove U.S. Senate Democratic nominee Chad Taylor’s name from the ballot, in a ruling that could influence the national fight for control of the Senate.
The court’s decision Thursday leaves Democrats without a nominee, potentially making it easier for independent candidate Greg Orman to defeat three-term Republican incumbent Sen. Pat Roberts. The GOP has counted on Roberts winning re-election on Nov. 4 as they seek to recapture a Senate majority.
Taylor withdrew from the race to avoid a split of anti-Roberts votes. But Republican Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who backs Roberts, declared that Taylor didn’t fully comply with a state election law in submitting his letter of withdrawal.
The Supreme Court says Taylor’s formal letter was sufficient.
The Roberts Senate campaign responded to the news “Today, the Kansas Supreme Court deliberately, and for political purposes, disenfranchised over 65,000 voters. In a bow to Senators Claire McCaskill and Harry Reid, liberal activist Supreme Court justices have decided that if you voted in the Democrat Primary on August 5th, your vote does not matter, your voice does not matter, and you have no say in who should be on the ballot on Election Day. This is not only a travesty to Kansas voters, but it’s a travesty to the judicial system and our electoral process.”