GOP’s Roberts hangs on in Kansas

Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) beat back a fierce challenge from Independent Greg Orman on Tuesday night, dashing Democrats’ last best hope to pick up a Republican seat.

With 52 percent of precincts reporting, Roberts had 52 percent of the vote compared to Orman’s 44 percent.

{mosads}Roberts’s win came after an all-hands-on-deck effort from national Republicans, who swooped into the state when it became clear Roberts was trailing Orman in early general election polls.

The incumbent was hurt by the perception that he had lost touch with his state after it was reported that he no longer lives in the house he owns in Kansas and instead rents a room from donors when he returns.

That detail was used to great effect by his primary challenger, radiologist Milton Wolf, who argued Roberts had “gone Washington” and should be sent home — to Virginia, Wolf and other Roberts detractors said.