Wednesday, September 3 was a day of good news for independent U.S. Senate candidate Greg Orman.
Orman picked up a key endorsement from the Traditional Republicans for Common Sense, a moderate Republican group. This endorsement adds to Orman's collection of Republican and Democratic endorsements for Senate -- demonstrating his overall viability as someone who can cross the political divide.
The biggest news for Orman was that his Democratic opponent, Chad Taylor, dropped out of the race late in the day. Taylor had serious funding problems and local Democratic leaders had already called for his withdrawal.
“This is certainly an unexpected turn of events," Orman said in a statement. "Chad Taylor is a committed public servant. He ran an honorable campaign and worked hard, and I wish him and his family well."
In a three-way race, Public Policy Polling placed Republican incumbent Pat Roberts with a solid lead as Orman and Taylor split the anti-incumbent vote.
In a head-to-head contest, however, Orman has a resounding 10-point lead over Roberts. Considering there hasn't been a non-Republican U.S. senator from Kansas since 1938, this is a huge development.