Kansas independent Orman will stay on the ballot

3:55 p.m.

A state board in Kansas is keeping independent candidate Greg Orman on the ballot in the governor's race.

The State Objections Board on Thursday rejected a challenge filed by a Democratic legislative leader's aide.

The Democrat had argued that questions about how Orman gathered the signatures of registered voters were grave enough to warrant removing him from the Nov. 6 ballot.

Orman needed the signatures of 5,000 registered voters, and counties validated about 7,700. The objection raised questions about how at least 4,000 were collected.

The board was made up of representatives of the secretary of state, the attorney general and the lieutenant governor. All are Republicans and Secretary of State Kris Kobach is the GOP nominee for governor.

Many Democrats fear Orman's bid will help Kobach.

___

6:30 a.m.

Democrats horrified by the thought that provocative conservative Kris Kobach could be Kansas' next governor are attacking a Kansas City-area businessman whose independent candidacy could thwart their ambitions and help elect the Republican.

Their reaction to Greg Orman, the 49-year-old founder of a private equity fund, contrasts sharply with Democrats' embrace of Orman during a U.S. Senate run in 2014 that garnered national attention. This time, Democrats have launched a legal challenge aimed at removing Orman from the November ballot, and a state board plans to consider it Thursday.

Orman expects to tap discontent with the two major parties to become his red state's first independent governor, and supporters contend political scientists and partisan activists greatly underestimate voters' disgust with the hyper-partisanship in U.S. politics. He's also willing to spend his own funds, dropping $650,000 in July, a large sum in low-cost Kansas.

-----

A state board plans to meet Thursday to consider a challenge to independent candidate Greg Orman's right to appear on the November ballot in the Kansas governor's race.

The three-member, all-Republican State Objections Board set its meeting for 9 a.m. Thursday in Topeka. A Democratic legislative leader's chief of staff filed an objection to Orman's candidacy with the secretary of state's office Monday.

The objection questions the validity of petitions submitted by the independent candidate and Kansas City-area businessman to get on the ballot.

Orman needed signatures from 5,000 registered Kansas voters. The secretary of state's office said he had more than 7,000.

Orman's campaign spokesman has called the objection "frivolous."

The board is Secretary of State Kris Kobach's top deputy, Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Lt. Gov. Tracey Mann.