WASHINGTON _ Republican Jerry Moran of Kansas coasted to a second term in the U.S. Senate Tuesday.
Moran's Democratic challenger, Lawrence attorney Patrick Wiesner, never posed much of a threat. He raised only $35,000, compared with Moran's $6.6 million, and struggled to top 30 percent in pre-election polls.
But Moran may return to a different Congress. As he celebrated his win in Overland Park, Kan., Tuesday, it still was not clear whether his party would keep its majority in the U.S. Senate.
Democrats had to pick up at least four seats in the Senate to take control of the Senate back from Republicans.
Two years ago, Moran played an instrumental role in wresting control of the Senate from Democrats. Chosen by his peers to be chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee in 2012, he helped recruit and fundraise for GOP Senate candidates running in the 2014 midterm elections.
Taking on the high-profile, high-pressure position at the head of the GOP's campaign arm in the Senate was an uncharacteristic gamble for Moran, who has a reputation for being risk averse. But it paid off. Republicans picked up 9 seats and took power in the Senate.
Moran is on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which sets federal spending levels. He also is chairman of a subcommittee in charge of agriculture funding, and has spots on other Senate panels that oversee commerce, transportation, banking and veterans affairs.
Moran was first elected to Congress 1996, when he was elected to the House.
