Roberts down by 10 in new Kansas poll

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) is facing a double-digit deficit with one month left in his campaign, according to a new poll from NBC News.

{mosads}Roberts trails independent businessman Greg Orman by 48 percent to 38 percent in the poll, conducted by Marist College for NBC.

Those numbers are the worst Roberts has had in reputable public polling, though he’s trailed in most other recent public and private polling. A YouGov poll released by CBS and the New York Times Sunday found a tied race, though the polling firm uses an internet-based sample that hasn’t been used much in previous elections.

The race has turned into a major headache for national Republicans, whose aim is to win Senate control. Roberts has been plagued by residency issues and has run a lackluster campaign, and top national GOP staff have been dispatched to try to help him right the ship.

Orman has not said which party he’ll caucus with if he wins.

The live-caller poll of 646 likely voters on cell phones and landlines was conducted from Sept. 27 through Oct. 1 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.

This post was updated at 12:45 p.m.