Moran won’t endorse Senate candidates. ‘The people of Kansas can make a decision.’

Kansas Sen. Jerry Moran said he is not concerned about the seat of retiring Sen. Pat Roberts now that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has officially ruled out a political campaign in his home state. He also said he won’t endorse any of the candidates in the Republican primary.

“My general practice has been, with only ... unintentional circumstances, have I gotten involved with other people’s races,” Moran told reporters in Wichita on Thursday. “I don’t have any plan to change that practice.”

Pompeo ruled out a run in the 2020 election earlier this week amid heightened tensions with Iran. His decision ended widespread Republican hopes that he would enter the race, where the party’s 2018 nominee for governor, Kris Kobach, currently leads the GOP field.

Pompeo had fueled speculation for months that he was leaning toward a run by meeting with major Republican donors, such as Wichita resident Charles Koch and casino magnate Sheldon Adelson. President Donald Trump previously said he would support a Pompeo campaign for Senate if it meant keeping the Kansas seat in Republican hands.

Moran, who previously said Pompeo “would be a solid candidate” if he were to run, was asked Thursday if he had any concerns about the race now that the country’s top diplomat is out.

“No, the people of Kansas can make a decision,” Moran said. “Republican Kansans can make a decision about who their nominee is, Democrat Kansans can make a decision about who their nominee is. And then all Kansans can make a decision who would represent their interests, who they trust to do the job.

“And that’s a reason why I generally stay out of other people’s politics and stay out of the endorsements world, is Kansans understand. The candidates who are there now are pretty well known and they will get even better known between now and the election, and who better to make the decision about who should be the next United States senator than the voters of Kansas?”

This story was originally published January 9, 2020 at 7:14 PM.