One of four Kansas legislators who made headlines last year by defecting from the Republican Party is running for the U.S. Senate as a “pragmatic” Democrat, entering a race in which some GOP leaders are worried about immigration hardliner Kris Kobach ‘s chances should he win their party’s nomination. State Sen. Barbara Bollier, a retired suburban Kansas City anesthesiologist, launched her bid Wednesday, a day after campaign finance reports showed that Kobach is well behind a GOP rival, U.S. Rep. Roger Marshall, in fundraising. Marshall, who represents western Kansas in Congress, raised twice as much in contributions as Kobach from July 1 through Sept. 30 and ended the period with nearly $1.9 million in cash, compared to about $198,000 for Kobach.
