Some luck involved in Kansas GOP’s hold on Senate seats

Some of the national pundits trying to figure out Kansas’ surprisingly competitive Senate race are not only watching the polls but mining the state’s history. In one of way too many pieces headlined “What’s the Matter With Kansas?” Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics mentioned that no Republican has lost a Senate election in Kansas since 1932 but advised “that the GOP’s winning streak, real as it is, is dependent upon some luck. To wit, Arthur Capper defeated Omar Ketchum by three points in 1936, Frank Carlson defeated Charles Dawson by nine points in 1951, James Pearson defeated Floyd Breeding by seven points in 1966, and Bob Dole famously won by just 1.5 points in 1974 (Sam Brownback also had a reasonably close race in 1996). Sooner or later, that luck is bound to run out.” – Rhonda Holman

This story was originally published October 19, 2014 at 7:03 PM.