REPORT: GOP Sen. Pat Roberts To Announce Retirement

From the right wing 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 E.T. in his home state. Roberts, who has served in the Senate since 1997, will announce his retirement after months of speculation.

McClatchy reports:



The Kansas senator’s announcement will put an end to weeks of speculation about Roberts’ future as prominent Republicans in the state, including outgoing Gov. Jeff Colyer, have already begun lining up to launch campaigns if Roberts steps aside.

A GOP showdown for an open seat could also include Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kansas, former Rep. Kevin Yoder, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, Kansas Chamber of Commerce President Alan Cobb and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who defeated Colyer by 345 votes in the primary for governor before losing the general election.

Former U.S. Attorney for Kansas Barry Grissom has been weighing a 2020 campaign as a Democrat for months, contending that Democratic victories in November show the party could win the seat for the first time since 1932.