Two Democratic super PACs spent more than $5 million to support a failed candidate in Kansas's Republican Senate primary race, Politico reported Thursday.
Senate Majority PAC, a group run by associates of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), and pro-abortion group EMILY's List dumped more than $5 million into the race to support candidate Kris Kobach's bid against GOP-backed congressman Roger Marshall (R., Kan.). The groups helped fund advertisements that called Marshall a "swamp creature" and presented Kobach as a "pro-Trump conservative leader."
Earlier this month, Marshall prevailed over Kobach in the primary election by a 14-point margin.
Despite the result, the Democratic groups defended their decision to back Kobach.
"[Republicans] were signaling not only they were nervous about it, but that it was shaky," said Senate Majority PAC president J.B. Poersch. "They won by a decent margin, but at the point, all indications were that it was shaky."
National Republicans largely supported Marshall over Kobach, who they believed would jeopardize the GOP's Senate majority.
"Chuck Schumer is crying in his beer because Kris Kobach was his best and maybe his only chance to win a Senate seat in Kansas," said David Kensinger, a Kansas GOP operative.
Marshall will face off against state senator Barbara Bollier (D.) for the Senate seat in November.