Court orders Democrat Chad Taylor off Kansas ballot, dealing blow to GOP
The Kansas Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Democrat Chad Taylor's name must be removed from the ballot for U.S. Senate, dealing a blow to Republicans in the battle for the Senate majority.
In a 10-page ruling, the court ruled that when Taylor ended his Senate campaign, he fulfilled all of the requirements to have his name taken of the ballot. In doing so, they overruled Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), who argued Taylor's name must stay on since he never explicitly said he was incapable of serving.
The court wrote that "that the uncontroverted contents of Taylor's September 3 letter timely satisfy the statutory requirements for withdrawal."
Kobach said that he would extend the deadline for overseas absentee ballots to be printed and demanded that the state Democratic Party nominate a replacement for Taylor. It wasn't immediately clear whether the party would do so.
The court's ruling is a setback for vulnerable Sen. Pat Roberts (R) because it enables his main opponent to pursue anti-Roberts voters without serious competition.
Long seen as a safe Republican hold, Kansas has suddenly become competitive in recent weeks, amid struggles by Roberts. Republicans need to gain six sets to win the majority. A GOP loss in Kansas could be a devastating setback.
In a statement, Roberts campaign manager Corry Bliss blasted the court's ruling and charged it was politically motivated.
"This is not only a travesty to Kansas voters, but its a travesty to the judicial system and our electoral process," said Bliss.
Roberts's main challenger is independent candidate Greg Orman. Had Taylor's name stayed on the ballot, the Democrat could have drawn anti-Roberts votes that would probably otherwise go to Orman.
Some Democrats unaware that Taylor ended his campaign might have voted for him if his name was on the ballot simply because of his party affiliation.
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Court orders Democrat Chad Taylor off Kansas ballot, dealing blow to GOP