TOPEKA, (KSNT)— Kansas Attorney General candidate, Kris Kobach, is throwing his support behind Republican Gubernatorial candidate Derek Schmidt.

Kobach announced his support for Schmidt in a social media post on Friday.

“I support Derek Schmidt for Governor of Kansas,” Kobach wrote. “A vote for anyone else is effectively a vote for four more years of Laura Kelly.”

Kobach, who lost two major political races in the last four years, including the 2018 race against Democratic Governor Laura Kelly, is now attempting to make a comeback as he pursues a spot as the next Attorney General.

The Former Secretary of State gained an endorsement from the state’s Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall. However, some political experts argue that it could be a gamble, rallying around a political figure who’s already been rejected by Kansas voters.

Political analyst Dr. Bob Beatty said Republicans may be trying to create a “unified front.”

“It’s still a bit of a gamble…Kris Kobach has a lot of supporters in the Republican party, but he’s got detractors too, so it’s not a ‘slam-dunk’ strategy,” Beatty said. “There is a little element of risk to it, because the Democrats actually want them to link Kobach and Schmidt.”

Kansas democrats released a statement following Schmidt’s endorsement from Kobach, questioning whether Schmidt will “return the favor.”

“Kobach’s endorsement of Schmidt proves a few things: first, that Schmidt’s team is panicking about Pyle’s addition on the November ballot; second, it offers a glimpse into the ugly Republican infighting within the Kansas GOP; and third, that Schmidt has no standards. Kobach has been rejected by Kansas voters repeatedly, including in his race against Schmidt’s current opponent back in 2018. Voters will once again reject Kobach this fall. The question that remains is when will Schmidt return the favor and endorse Kobach back?” 

Emma O’Brien, Kansas Democratic Party Spokesperson

In an interview with Kansas Capitol Bureau, Kansas Democratic Party spokeswoman, Emma O’Brien, said Republicans uniting when Kobach is on the ballot, could pose a “challenging strategy” heading into the General.

“…Just considering Kobach’s track record of losing time and time again, of being rejected by Kansas voters,” O’Brien explained.

CJ Grover, a spokesman for Schmidt’s campaign, sent Kansas Capitol Bureau a statement on the recent endorsement, noting that they are working to “earn the votes” of Kansans “all across the political spectrum.”

“Kansans are uniting behind Derek Schmidt’s candidacy for governor because they know Kansas deserves better than the failures the last few years under Laura Kelly. We appreciate all support, and we will continue to work to earn the votes of Kansans from all across the political spectrum in November.”

CJ Grover, Derek Schmidt Campaign Spokesperson