(Udpated to include comments from Lindstrom campaign, Marshall, Kobach, political analyst and more details with edits throughout)
Senate President Susan Wagle on Thursday announced she was withdrawing from the U.S. Senate race, only hours after she failed to gain the support of two key groups that oppose abortion.
Wagle said she was pulling out over concerns that a divisive Republican primary will benefit Democrat Barbara Bollier’s campaign for the U.S. Senate.
“I know Barbara well, and I will not be part of a primary fight that will divide our party or hurts my colleagues in the state legislature,” Wagle said.
Wagle’s sudden announcement leaves a four-person GOP primary that includes Republican Congressman Roger Marshall, Kris Kobach, former Johnson County Commissioner David Lindstrom and businessman Bob Hamilton.
Many Republicans fear the congested field would set up Kobach to win the primary and send a vulnerable candidate to the general election against a very well financed Democratic candidate.
Wagle said efforts to raise money were impeded by constant speculation that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo would enter the Senate race.
Wagle had about $515,000 on hand at the end of the first quarter of which $275,000 was in personal loans to the campaign, raising questions about just how willing she would be to use her own money in the Senate race.
She also said her work as Senate president, including battles with the governor over her executive orders during the coronavirus pandemic, required her undivided attention.
She also said she was devoted to the needs of her family after her daughter, Julia, passed away in March.
“This is not the end of my time in public life or fighting for the causes I believe in,” Wagle said.
“Until the next door opens, I will work tirelessly to uphold our party ideals during the special session and I am committed to helping elect strong conservatives to the Kansas legislature this year.”
A spokeswoman for Wagle said the Senate president does not plan to return to her old state Senate in Wichita.
If Wagle’s announcement would have any domino effect, it seemed immediately unclear. Lindstrom and Hamilton have already filed for the seat.
Lindstrom campaign chair Dave Owen said he wasn’t surprised that Wagle would withdraw, citing social media speculation that she would get a federal appointment.
“Dave filed this morning and will vigorously pursue the nomination,” Owen said.
Hamilton showed now indication of leaving.
“We have one candidate who is conservative who can’t win, and one candidate who can win but isn’t conservative,” he said in a statement.
“I’m in this race to the end as the conservative who can win in November.”
Kobach praised Wagle as she departed the race.
“Susan Wagle has been a real hero to the pro-life movement, and she has been a true leader for opening up Kansas,” Kobach tweeted.
“Had she stayed in the U.S. Senate race and won, she would have made a great senator.”
Marshall said on Twitter that Wagle had “long been a leader of the conservative and pro-life movements in Kansas. She has demonstrated the same resilience in her personal life.” He said she would be a leader in Kansas for “years to come.”
Hamilton said Wagle’s “legacy as a strong conservative voice and leader in the pro-life movement will be lasting.”
Wagle’s announcement came hours after the state’s two leading antiabortion groups – Kansans for Life and Operation Rescue – opted not to endorse her Senate campaign even though she was one of the leading supporters of a constitutional amendment on abortion.
Wagle battled unsuccessfully to pass a constitutional amendment reversing a state Supreme Court decision that found that the right to an abortion is protected by the state constitution.
The amendment passed in the Senate but failed to get the required two-thirds majority in the Kansas House. Wagle later blocked Medicaid expansion until the House passed the amendment.
Wagle also failed to land support from any of the key conservative groups that had supported either Marshall or Kobach during the Senate race so far.
Last week, Marshall secured the support of the Family Research Council’s political action committee.
And this week, Kobach won the endorsement of James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.
Meanwhile, Marshall also secured support from the state’s key agricultural groups, the Kansas Farm Bureau and the Kansas Livestock Association.
Veteran Republican political strategist David Kensinger said it was almost impossible for Wagle to run for the U.S. Senate and serve as Senate president.
“That is more than two full time jobs,” Kensinger said. “I don’t think she was ever able to bring the resources to bear on it that a race like that requires.”
Kensinger said the fact that most polls showed Wagle lagging the field made it an uphill climb to attract the backing of key Kansas groups that were flocking to either Marshall or Kobach during the first months of the race.
“You’ve got to have support to prove viability, but you’ve got to be viable to gain support,” he said. “Polling influences the fundraising and the fundraising helps you communicate to affect the polling.”
Wagle raised about $728,000 during the cycle, but $275,000 came in personal loans. Kobach raised about $594,000 during the cycle had $317,000 on hand on March 31.
By comparison Marshall, had raised about $2.1 million for the cycle, not counting money he transferred from his House campaign account. He had about $1.9 million in the bank at the end of the first quarter.
Last month, Republican Party Chairman Mike Kuckelman asked Wagle – and David Lindstrom – to leave the U.S. Senate race.
Kuckelman told Wagle there was no way for Wagle and Lindstrom to win the Senate race based on fundraising and polling data.
Both had been trailing Marshall and Kobach, who have a larger political presence in the state and are polling significantly better than Wagle or Lindstrom.
Kuckelman asked Lindstrom and Wagle to end their campaigns so Republicans can get behind one candidate who will keep the Senate seat in Republican hands and help down-ballot candidates as well.
“Narrowing the field is welcome news,” Kuckelman said. “I still believe the primary should be one or two candidates. This is a step in the right direction for the party.”
Kuckelman said he didn’t expect to have any more communication with Lindstrom and Hamilton about remaining in the race.
“I’ve spoken my peace on that,” he said. “I’ve been very clear that the primary should be one or two candidates. I don’t know that there is anything else to discuss.”
Lindstrom campaign manager, Dakotah Parshall, said his candidate isn’t dropping out.
“Political insiders in the Kansas swamp are doing everything they can to pick the next U.S. senator,” Parshall said.
“Just as the Washington swamp has tried to stop President Trump, the Kansas swamp is trying to stop Dave Lindstrom.
“Kansans have had enough and they deserve a choice – political insiders or a businessman with a record of strong leadership.”
