| Advertisement |
WASHINGTON, Oct. 6 (UPI) -- Three-term Kansas Senator Pat Roberts, once thought to be a lock for re-election in the fall, now significantly trails independent opponent Greg Orman in the latest polling data. According to a newly released NBC/Marist poll, upstart independent Greg Orman has a 10 point lead over Rebublican incumbant Pat Roberts.
Advertisement
"[Roberts is] in a great deal of trouble out there," analyzed Marist pollster Lee Miringoff.
"He's got high negatives, his intensity of support is low, he's losing independents by more than two to one. His to-do list is rather large in the remaining time before Election Day."
Despite trailing in a historically deep red state, pro-Roberts appeals from Sarah Palin and Texas Senator Ted Cruz may have hurt the incumbent in a rapidly evolving Kansas political landscape.
"Nearly as many Kansans describe their ideology as moderate (36 percent) as they do conservative (38 percent), which may be one reason the self-described moderate Orman is performing so well in the polls," according to recent Gallup analysis.
"The percentage of Kansas moderates is on par with the national figure, but higher than in other conservative-leaning states with key Senate elections this year, including North Carolina and Arkansas."
Even the race for the Kansas statehouse has tipped from the right, as Democratic challenger leads by incumbent Sam Brownback by an average of over 3 percentage points.
