Health science website calls KS Senate race 'surprisingly close.' This issue is why

Sep. 9--The U.S. Senate race in traditionally Republican Kansas is competitive for one reason: health care.

That's the conclusion of STAT, the Boston-based medical and health science site which wrote about the contest Wednesday and called it "surprisingly close."

STAT took special interest in the race between Republican Rep. Roger Marshall and Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier because both have medical backgrounds; Marshall is an OB-GYN, while Bollier is a retired anesthesiologist.

"The race could serve as a measure of health care's outsized importance in the 2020 election, and of voters' level of frustration with Congress, which has flailed in its recent attempts to meaningfully lower drug prices or cap medical expenses," according writer Lev Facher.

The two candidates have stark differences when it comes to health care policy. Bollier, who switched from Republican to Democrat in 2018, has long favored Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. Marshall is opposed.

STAT said polls "have shown significant majorities of Kansans support the expansion," while also stating that issue was part of what helped Democrat Laura Kelly to a Kansas gubernatorial win in 2018.

"Bollier's ability to run a competitive race in Kansas, pollsters said, is indicative of the power of her health care platform," Facher wrote, "and Democrats' broader advantage on health care issues."

Still, Bollier faces huge challenges, as Republicans enjoy a 2-to-1 registration advantage in the state.

STAT also pointed out another potential obstacle for Bollier: her pro-choice position.

"That stance could prove to be her biggest health policy liability in a state where voters skew socially conservative -- a reality reflected by Bollier's clear avoidance of the word 'abortion' even as she highlights the support of pro-abortion-rights groups, including Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and Emily's List," Facher wrote in Stat.

One current betting market has Marshall as the favorite; Predictit.org has bettors giving Kansas' Republican Senate candidate a 78% percent chance of winning, as opposed to 22% for the Democrat. Politico, meanwhile, still has Kansas as a Republican lean in the Senate Race from a "swing states" report posted Tuesday.

Kansas has not elected a Democratic Senator since 1932.

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