U.S. Chamber of Commerce backs Marshall in Kansas Senate race, warns against Kobach
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Rep. Roger Marshall Tuesday in the U.S. Senate race in Kansas, the strongest sign yet that the Republican establishment has coalesced around the western Kansas congressman.
Ashlee Rich Stephenson, the chamber’s national political director, said Marshall has earned a 90 percent voting score from the chamber during his two terms in the U.S. House. The chamber’s 60-member governing body voted unanimously to support him over the other candidates to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Roberts.
“The math is pretty simple and clear. To maintain a pro-business majority in the U.S. Senate, that runs directly through Kansas. This is not a seat that should be in play for Democrats,” Stephenson said in a phone call.
Kansas holds its primary election on August 4.
Stephenson warned that former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach would be a weak general election nominee for Republicans following his 2018 loss in the gubernatorial race.
“Kobach’s performance in 2018 stands out, how badly he lost at the top of the ticket in a red state. There’s no reason to believe he can run for U.S. Senate in 2020 and perform any better,” she said. “Candidates running for U.S. Senate and governor don’t get trial runs.”
Kobach has repeatedly pushed back on the notion that he’d put the seat at risk and argued that establishment Republican groups object to his candidacy because of his hardline stance on illegal immigration.
“It has long been the case that the D.C. establishment was opposed to me. They don’t want a conservative who can’t be pushed around or forced to compromise. They want people who can be told how to vote,” Kobach told The Star earlier this month.
Republicans have dominated Senate elections in the state for eight decades. But Democrats are hopeful they can flip the seat if Republicans select a weak nominee and state Sen. Barbara Bollier, a Johnson County Democrat, maintains her lead in fundraising.
Support from the chamber, the largest business advocacy group in the nation, likely opens new fundraising opportunities for Marshall as the Great Bend Republican tries to keep pace with Bollier.
“It’s a tremendous shot in the arm and sign of validation from the business community at large to have the U.S. Chamber’s support,” Stephenson said.
National Republicans tried to lure Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former Wichita congressman, into the race. But with those efforts rebuffed, establishment groups appear to be coalescing around Marhsall, an OB-GYN from Great Bend.
Marshall had already won the backing of the two important GOP-leaning advocacy groups in the state, the Kansas Farm Bureau and Kansans For Life. But the chamber’s endorsement is the strongest signal that national Republicans have begun to embrace Marshall as their best alternative to Kobach.
Marshall said in a statement that the chamber’s support “is another sign that our campaign has the momentum heading into the last month of the (primary) race, and that our campaign is the only one that can keep this Senate seat red in November.”
The chamber also weighed the candidacy of Bob Hamilton, a Miami County businessman, but chose Marshall based on his experience in government.
“He has a proven track record of leading responsibly and standing up for good policies,” said Thomas Donohue, the chamber’s CEO, in a statement announcing the endorsement of Marshall.
The same day that the chamber endorsed Marshall in the Senate race, it offered praise to Rep. Sharice Davids, the only Democrat in Kansas’ congressional delegation, by awarding her a Spirit of Enterprise Award.
The award is distinct from an endorsement, but is still meant as a tool to help the public identify business-friendly lawmakers. She was one of 259 lawmakers to receive the award.
“In these uncertain times with daunting economic and social challenges facing our nation, it is imperative that leaders in Washington are focused on propelling American businesses forward to create jobs and economic growth from California to Maine,” Donohue said in a statement about the awards.
The chamber spent $200,000 in 2018 support of then-Rep. Kevin Yoder, the Republican Davids ousted in Kansas’ 3rd Congressional District. It has yet to make an endorsement the district this year.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
