It seems all eyes are on Kansas, especially in regard to the hotly contested U.S. Senate race between U.S. Senator Pat Roberts and challenger Greg Orman.
In the hours leading into the election, Roberts said this is a potentially historic moment in American political history. A vote for him will assure what’s best for the country, he said.
“I think the people of Kansas understand that a vote for me is to help stop the Obama agenda and achieve a Republican majority in the United States Senate,” he said. “We will end the gridlock. We will do things. We will open up the pipeline, we will achieve tax reform. We will repeal and replace Obamacare.”
Orman met voters door-to-door in Wichita Monday morning. If elected, he would be the first Independent candidate to represent Kansas in the U.S. Senate — a move, he said, would change politics for the better. It could also challenge a Republican majority.
“We feel really confident that the voters of Kansas are going to take this historic opportunity to send a message to Washington that you can’t just go there and hide behind your party label,” Orman said. “You actually have to roll up your sleeves, go to work and get things done for the people of Kansas.”
As of mid-July, Orman only had about 8 percent of the polls; Roberts had nearly 45 percent.
After Democrat Chad Taylor dropped out of the race, things changed. Orman appears to have gained ground.
The Huffington Post Pollster combines several recent polls and reveals that Roberts and Orman are tied. However, a number of other polls show either candidate having a one-percent lead, at most.
Both candidates said they can’t ignore the importance of these last-minute efforts.
“I’ve just been personally gratified by the opportunity and privilege, really, of being able to travel the state, talk with voters about the things that really matter to them,” Orman said. “And I think that they’re going to be able to send the message tomorrow that Kansans expect and deserve better, and we’re going to deliver that to them.”
Though the election has had its ups and downs, Roberts said that’s the nature in politics. He’s eager to represent Kansas once again.
“You know the old expression that politics is not bean bag,” Roberts asked. “We’ve had a lot of bean bags. But that’s tough. That’s the way it is, but I am a Marine, we take to hell, regardless of the circumstances. If the battle gets tough, we just get tougher.”