Roberts Readies For 2014 Race

Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts is setting his sights on raising $5 million in his bid to return to Washington for another six-year term, even with no opposition on the immediate horizon.

Roberts isn’t taking anything for granted and plans to campaign aggressively statewide over the next 18 months to retain the seat he first won in 1996.

The odds — and $1.2 million in cash on hand — are in Roberts’ favor. No Democrat has held a U.S. Senate seat from Kansas since 1932. Roberts won re-election in 2008 by defeating Democrat Jim Slattery by a 60 to 36 margin.

No Democrat has emerged, though state party executive director Jason Perkey said Friday that a number of potential candidates were considering a run.