U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Monday he does not plan to run for a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas in 2020, two people close to McConnell said.
Ryan Brooks reports.
Pompeo isn't planning a U.S. Senate run: sources
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo isn't planning for a 2020 Senate run.
There's been speculation for months that he'd aim for the seat in his home state Kansas.
But two sources say Pompeo told Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Monday (January 6) he won't run.
One source says Pompeo's happy as the country's top diplomat and is one of President Donald Trump's closest advisors.
Pompeo was key in the president's decision to launch the air strike that killed Iran's top military leader Qassem Soleimani last week.
And has defended the Trump administration's decision to attack: (SOUNDBITE) (English) EXCHANGE BETWEEN CBS NEWS CORRESPONDENT MARGARET BRENNAN AND U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO: "Margaret, we continue to prepare for whatever the Iranian regime may put in front of us within the next ten minutes, within the next ten days, and within the next ten weeks." Republicans hold the majority in the Senate.
But without Pompeo in the race, some in the party fear this Kansas seat could be lost to Democrats.
It increases the chances immigration hardliner Kris Kobach could win the primary.
Kobach is known for championing the construction of the wall between Mexico and the US: (SOUNDBITE) FORMER KANSAS SECRETARY OF STATE KRIS KOBACK SAYING: "If the boat is sinking, the first thing you have to do is stop the water from coming in the boat, right?
And the wall is absolutely essential to that.
You can debate all day long about everything else but the wall is essential." However, after Kobach lost the Kansas governor's race in 2018 some Republicans are less confident he can keep the seat in GOP hands.
It was believed that if Pompeo had presidential ambitions for 2024 the Senate would have been a good stepping stone for his nomination.
There's still time if he changes his mind - the deadline isn't until June.