TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) – Beloved Kansas State University football coach Bill Snyder on Thursday endorsed Sen. Pat Roberts for re-election and is appearing in a television ad for the three-term Republican incumbent, potentially giving the GOP a boost in a race with national implications.
The spot came with a final crush of advertising on both sides after Kansas unexpectedly became a battleground state in the Republicans’ quest to recapture a Senate majority. Roberts is locked in a tough contest with independent candidate Greg Orman, a 45-year-old Olathe businessman and co-founder of a private equity firm.
Snyder is respected throughout the state and college football. His 6-1 Wildcats are the only Big 12 team without a conference loss and are ranked ninth for a national football playoff spot.
Republicans need a net gain of six seats, and they’ve always counted on the 78-year-old Roberts winning in a state in which the GOP has won every Senate race since 1932. But Roberts emerged vulnerable from an August primary against a tea party challenger who portrayed him as out of touch, and Orman has painted the incumbent as part of Washington’s gridlock.
In the new 30-second spot, Snyder describes Roberts as “a dear friend and a great friend of the state of Kansas.” Roberts’ campaign plans to spend “six figures” on air time, manager Corry Bliss said.