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By Dana Bash, CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent

updated 6:29 PM EDT, Thu September 4, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Washington (CNN) -- Republicans in Washington say they are breathing a sigh of relief now that the Kansas secretary of state has ruled that the Democratic Senate candidate will stay on the ballot in November even though he dropped out.

It's a case of political whiplash for national Republicans, who just hours earlier scrambled to send strategists to Kansas when it suddenly became a head-to-head race between incumbent Republican Pat Roberts and an independent candidate with libertarian views, who would likely pull GOP votes from Roberts.

The matchup appeared to make it harder for the GOP to seize the Senate majority.

Now a GOP strategist tells CNN that Republicans believe keeping Democrat Chad Taylor on the ballot is "enormous" because he was only getting 30% of the vote when he was actively campaigning. Republicans predict the Democrat will still get about 10-25% of the vote on Election Day, making it easier for Roberts to beat independent candidate Greg Orman.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, which works to get Republicans elected to the Senate, was already dispatching veteran GOP strategist Chris LaCivita to Kansas, a GOP source tells CNN.

The source called it just the first move to try to help bolster Roberts' campaign, which national Republicans worry is lackluster and ill-equipped to run an unexpectedly competitive campaign.

Republicans had also enlisted help from former Sen. Bob Dole, the longtime senator from Kansas and a former Senate majority leader, who was already scheduled in the state this week. A source close to Dole tells CNN he is playing the role as "super consultant" to Roberts, an old friend.

Continued here:
Republicans have 'whiplash' over ruling in Kansas Senate race