Pompeo says he’s ‘ruled out’ 2020 Kansas Senate run

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday said that he has “ruled out” running for the open Kansas Senate seat in 2020.

“It’s ruled out. I’m here. I’m loving it,” Pompeo said Thursday during an interview on NBC’s “Today.”

The seat is being vacated by retiring Sen. Pat Roberts (R).

{mosads}Pompeo, who represented Kansas’s 4th District in the House before joining the Trump administration, added that he plans to serve as secretary of State for “as long as President Trump gives me the opportunity to serve as America’s senior diplomat.”

“I love doing what I’m doing and I have 75,000 great warriors out around the world, trying to deliver for the American people,” he said.

“It’s ruled out.” @SecPompeo says of running for an open Senate seat in Kansas in 2020 pic.twitter.com/mrVCrEFu6o

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 21, 2019

Pompeo’s comments follow reports last month that Senate Republicans, as well as Republican strategists, were pushing him to run for Roberts’s seat. Republicans are worried that Democrats could pull off a victory in the usually reliable red state, where Democrat Laura Kelly beat Republican Kris Kobach in last year’s governor’s race.

Additionally, Pompeo and Roberts were planning to meet as of last month amid speculation that Pompeo would run, a spokesperson for Roberts said at the time.

President Trump earlier this month said that he had asked Pompeo about a possible Senate bid and the State Department chief told him “he’s absolutely not leaving.”

Roberts, currently serving his fourth term in the Senate, announced in January that he would not seek reelection in 2020.