Kansas GOP Senate primary election is Tuesday (Updated)

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Republicans will begin casting their votes in the Kansas Republican primary for U.S. Senate in less than 12 hours. The polls will open at 7 AM in the Jayhawk State and will close at 7 PM. Two U.S. Congressmen have been battling to be the GOP nominee, a candidate who will be all but assured of victory in the November general election in Republican Kansas. The Senate seat is being vacated by Sam Brownback, who is the front-runner to be the state's next governor.

Todd Tiahrt and Jerry Moran have been waging a contest to convince voters that each is the true conservative in the race. Moran has the larger campaign war chest and has led the lead in the polls, but Tiahrt has been narrowing the gap in the most recent polling. Although a Survey USA poll released on the eve of the primary election showed Moran with a 10-point lead, the race could actually be closer than that:

The pollster says that compared to two weeks ago, Moran is down one percentage point, and Tiahrt is up three. Tiahrt’s strategy to paint himself as the true conservative appears to be working, at least among conservative voters. Today he leads among conservatives by five percentage points, where two months ago Moran led by 21 percentage points in this group.

The poll notes potential trouble for Moran: “Most ominous for Moran: Among the 17 percent of voters who report they have already cast their ballots, Tiahrt is nominally ahead, 46 percent to 43 percent. Among those who tell SurveyUSA they are likely to vote, but have not yet done so, Moran leads by 13.”

If these potential Moran voters don't turn out tomorrow, it could be good news for Tiahrt.

Moran has been endorsed by Senators Jim Demint (R-SC) and Tom Coburn (R-OK). Tiahrt has the backing of 2008 GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former White House chief of staff Karl Rove and political activist Phyllis Schlafly.

Updates...

Gov. Palin wrote tonight on her wall at Facebook:

Sarah Palin I want to remind the good people of Kansas to vote on Tuesday for Todd Tiahrt for U.S. Senate. He is a strong commonsense conservative who will serve Kansans with honor and help put our country on the right fiscal track.
About Todd
www.toddtiahrt.com
Kansans for Tiahrt

And from NRO's The Corner, "(Mostly) Good News from Kansas"

- JP

KS-SEN: Moran campaign denies political thuggery

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The U.S. Senate race in Kansas is heating up on the Republican side. Rep. Jerry Moran's campaign has denied issuing threats to the heads of two organizations that endorsed Moran's primary opponent Rep. Todd Tiahrt. More from the Wichita Eagle's editorial blog:

Moran spokesman Dan Conston called the allegation “political slime.” But Patricia Stoneking of the Kansas State Rifle Association and David Gittrich of the Kansans for Life PAC both said Moran campaign manager Todd Novascone — a former state representative from Andover — threatened that their groups would be sorry that they endorsed Tiahrt. Gittrich also claims that Novascone said he had a lot of dirt on Gittrich going back to high school. Tiahrt spokeswoman Michelle Schroeder responded: “Kansans should not have to fear Chicago-style threats from Congressman Moran or his staff simply because they don’t support his campaign.”

Sarah Palin has also endorsed Tiahrt.

- JP

KS-Sen: Tancredo switches support from Moran to Tiahrt

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Explaining that he had been "deceived," former Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo today took the unusual step of formally withdrawing his endorsement of U.S. Senate candidate Jerry Moran and giving it to Todd Tiahrt, Moran's opponent in the Kansas Republican primary, according to a report at the Wichita Eagle's political blog:

Tancredo said Moran had deceived him.

Tancedo wrote this (as released by the Tiahrt camp):

Dear Kansan,

In February of this year I endorsed Congressman Jerry Moran for the United States Senate.

I came to this difficult conclusion after receiving untrue and incomplete information from the Moran for Senate campaign and Congressman Moran himself.

After independent research, I have learned disturbing information about Congressman Moran’s support of amnesty and benefits for illegal immigrants.

He voted against my amendment to defund sanctuary cities, essentially granting amnesty to all illegal immigrants in each of those cities.

Congressman Moran also voted with Nancy Pelosi to remove citizenship verification for illegal immigrants to receive welfare benefits.

Then he raised your taxes to pay for those health care benefits.

Congressman Moran even opposed money to secure our borders and build the fence.

In addition to hiding his own record, Congressman Moran distorted and maligned Congressman Todd Tiahrt’s record on illegal immigration. Congressman Tiahrt has been innovative in his approach to sealing the borders, written legislation to close loopholes so you and I don’t pay for benefits to illegal immigrants, and led the charge to keep tough immigration laws at the forefront of the debate in Congress when so many others are letting President Obama take the lead.

Because I care about the burden illegal immigration places on this country, I am withdrawing my endorsement of Congressman Moran and proudly endorsing Congressman Todd Tiahrt.

If you care about the damage illegal immigration does to our society, I hope you can join me in supporting and voting for Congressman Todd Tiahrt.

- Congressman Tom Tancredo

By switching his support from Moran to Tiahrt, Tancredo joins Sarah Palin in backing Tiahrt. The 2008 vice presidential candidate gave the 4th District Congressman her endorsement June 24.

- JP

Is Todd Tiahrt happy to have Gov. Palin's endorsement?

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From what we see on his campaign website, you betcha!



- JP