Kansas Sen. Kassebaum Likely Won’t Run Again

Kansas Sen. Nancy Kassebaum strongly suggested Wednesday that she plans to retire after three terms in the Senate.

“I don’t think it’s going to be any bombshell,” the Kansas Republican said of her announcement, planned for Monday in Topeka.

The conventional political wisdom has Kassebaum deciding not to run for re-election in 1996, and she did nothing to dispel that notion in an interview Wednesday.

“A lot of people surely should be able to guess,” said Kassebaum, chairman of the Senate Labor and Human Resources Committee.

There was speculation that the announcement by Rep. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., that he will not run for the Senate next year could mean Kassebaum had a change of heart. But she said the two decisions were not linked.

“I was very surprised,” Kassebaum said of Roberts’ announcement Monday. “I just assumed he was on track.”

Kassebaum said Roberts told her last Thursday he was leaning against the race, preferring instead to run again for his 1st District House seat and remain chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

If Kassebaum decides not to run, she would become the second Republican who has announced plans to retire in 1996. Eight Democratic senators have decided against seeking re-election so far.