We've been following this race for a while, most recently just yesterday with news that former six-term Democratic Congressman Jim Slattery was reconsidering his previous decision not to run for the United States Senate in Kansas. Well, that period of reconsideration is apparently already over.
Former Rep. Jim Slattery has reconsidered his political future and will challenge Sen. Pat Roberts this fall, a state Democrat officials said Wednesday.Slattery will make a public statement next week that he will enter the race, said Mike Gaughan, executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party.
"He intends to make the race. He's been talking to Kansans disappointed with the way Pat Roberts has been inattentive to Kansans' needs in Washington," Gaughan said. "He was somebody that we talked to last year about the importance of running against Pat Roberts."
While it might not seem like it's the case, this is a relatively big recruitment coup. Slattery isn't the strongest potential Democratic Senate candidate in the state; Governor Kathleen Sebelius would almost undoubtedly be a stronger challenger (though she may be holding out for a position on the Democratic ticket, a slot in a Democratic cabinet, or perhaps a run for an open Senate seat in the state in 2010). But aside from Sebelius, Slattery is certainly among the group of Democrats who could potentially make this race competitive.
And that's what it comes down to, making this race potentially competitive. No one is expecting a Senate race in Kansas to be easy. The Democrats haven't won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932 (and that was a fairly good year for the party...). But what the Democrats can hope for is a candidate who can keep the incumbent Republican honest, a candidate who voters would feel comfortable voting for in the case that the unexpected occurs (e.g. an incumbent falling into hard times, like Jim Bunning or George Allen). Slattery is just the type of candidate who could fill this role.
So this is definitely a positive development for Senate Democrats.
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