Nancy Kassebaum endorses Gov. Laura Kelly over former staffer, Derek Schmidt

Former Republican U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum announced Monday she would endorse Gov. Laura Kelly in the Kansas governor's race.

While Kassebaum endorsed Kelly in 2018, it was expected that one of the pre-eminent figures in Kansas politics would not back her or her opponent, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, in 2022.

Schmidt worked for Kassebaum in the U.S. Senate from 1991 to 1997 and she later served as one of the four co-chairs of his 2010 bid for attorney general.

But in a statement Monday, Kassebaum praised what she viewed as Kelly's bipartisan leadership as governor, though the statement didn't mention Schmidt.

"Governor Laura Kelly has shown time and again she is willing to work with both sides of the aisle for solutions to real problems," Kassebaum said. "She continues to rise above partisan politics to do what is right for Kansas — she has the leadership qualities needed to continue leading the state. I’m proud to join her team to build a better future for Kansas."

More:Laura Kelly, Derek Schmidt vie for Kansas' ‘middle-of-the-road’ voters. Here's what analysis shows.

Former Republican Govs. Mike Hayden and Bill Graves also endorsed Laura Kelly

Kelly said she welcomed Kassebaum's endorsement, which comes after other former GOP officials, including former Govs. Mike Hayden and Bill Graves, who Schmidt also worked for, have backed her campaign.

"Senator Kassebaum dedicated her entire career to serving the people of Kansas, and she's a great role model to me," Kelly said. "It's an honor to have her on the team as we continue to grow our state and make Kansas the best place to live, work, and raise a family."

Kassebaum served in the U.S. Senate from 1978 to 1997. At the time of her election, she was the only woman in the U.S. Senate, and the first woman to win a term without her husband previously serving.

She has routinely endorsed Democrats in recent years. Beyond her backing of Kelly in the 2018 race against Republican Kris Kobach, Kassebaum also endorsed former state Sen. Barbara Bollier, who unsuccessfully attempted to defeat U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall in 2020.'

More:Kassebaum latest Republican to endorse Barbara Bollier in Senate race

In an email, CJ Grover, Schmidt's campaign manager, pointed to a number of Republican politicians who have backed his campaign, including the late U.S. Sen. Bob Dole and former U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts.

The election, Grover added, was "about the future, not the past."

"Derek will always be grateful to Nancy for giving him an early opportunity for public service as a junior member of her staff 30 years ago," Grover said. "He admires her personally, despite their political differences, but has been disappointed with the fact that she has not supported a Republican nominee for Governor of Kansas during this century."

Bob Beatty, a professor of political science at Washburn University, noted Kassebaum's decision in 2018 was sensible given the conservative nature of Kobach's politics.

"At least some wondered whether this would happen again with Derek Schmidt because he is much more of the State House family," Beatty said.

Nancy Kassebaum has criticized Donald Trump, polarization in recent years

Kassebaum has also been consistently critical of former President Donald Trump and the polarization in modern politics.

“I don’t know that we have had with it a direction that gives us some sense of security that we know where we’re going and how best to get there,” she said in 2019. “We’ve lost touch, I think, with trying to talk in a dialogue that helps all of us reason together.”

The governor's race is expected to be highly competitive, with polling showing a tight race. A 27 News poll released earlier this month by Emerson College showed Kelly with a 45-43 lead over Schmidt, though that puts the race inside the margin of error, making it effectively a tossup.