Monday, January 14, 2019

GOP KS Senator Announces Retirement



Republican Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts will announce his retirement at a press conference in Kansas Friday afternoon, two sources close with Roberts told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Roberts, 84, will make the announcement around 11:15 a.m. ET in his home state, stating he will not be seeking reelection in 2020. This comes after Roberts, who has served in the Senate since 1997, told reporters in December he would make a decision on his future plans in the Senate in 2018.

“I am announcing that I will serve the remainder of this term. However, I will not be a candidate in 2020 for a fifth Senate term,” Roberts said in his Friday speech.

Before serving in the Senate, Roberts served in the Marine Corps as a captain. In 1981, he was elected to the House, where he served for seven terms. Roberts focused on agriculture policy and is the only lawmaker to have chaired both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, passing eight farm bills throughout his time in congress, and earning the nickname “Farm Guy” from President Donald Trump, according to The Kansas City Star.

Read more at The Daily Caller.

Republican Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts will announce his retirement at a press conference in Kansas Friday afternoon, two sources close with Roberts told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Roberts, 84, will make the announcement around 11:15 a.m. ET in his home state, stating he will not be seeking reelection in 2020.

This comes after Roberts, who has served in the Senate since 1997, told reporters in December he would make a decision on his future plans in the Senate in 2018.

“I am announcing that I will serve the remainder of this term. However, I will not be a candidate in 2020 for a fifth Senate term,” Roberts said in his Friday speech.

Before serving in the Senate, Roberts served in the Marine Corps as a captain. In 1981, he was elected to the House, where he served for seven terms. Roberts focused on agriculture policy and is the only lawmaker to have chaired both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees, passing eight farm bills throughout his time in congress, and earning the nickname “Farm Guy” from President Donald Trump, according to The Kansas City Star.

Roberts also was Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Senate Ethics Committee.

Multiple names are being floated as possible options for Robert’s seat in 2020, such as the congressman from his district, Republican Rep. Roger Marshall. Another name which has been floating around is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who served as a congressman from Kansas for three terms. 

Republicans will now have to fight to secure the seat, which Roberts held for so long, if they want to keep a majority in the Senate in 2020.


Comments

I served as a volunteer on Pat Roberts’ 1981 Campaign Committee as liaison to Kansas manufacturing companies. I was living in Salina Kansas and working at Rickel Manufacturing (ag equipment). I was also serving as District Director for Kansas for ASPA (American Society for Personnel Administration).

I first met Pat Roberts when he spoke to the Salina Area Personnel Association. He answered all of our questions so honestly, I was impressed.

He was working as Chief of Staff for Kansas Republican Congressman Keith Sebelius and was running to replace him, because Sebelius was retiring in 1981.

One of my employees at Rickel was engaged to Pat Robert’s Campaign Manager and she asked me to join the campaign. My job was to arrange Pat Robert’s visits to manufacturing plants and attend his meetings with the workforce.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader

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