Kan. GOP Candidates Make Campaign Issue of Gay Marriage

Republican Sen. Pat Roberts and Gov. Sam Brownback are raising gay marriage as an issue to help paint their challengers as too liberal for GOP-leaning Kansas in the final weeks of tough re-election races.

Both publicly declared their continued support for the state constitution's gay-marriage ban after U.S. Supreme Court decisions earlier this month suggested it isn't likely to withstand a legal challenge.

Roberts' campaign sent a mailing last week to 300,000 voters, criticizing independent candidate Greg Orman.

Orman has said government should not prohibit same-sex couples from getting married.

Brownback raised the issue without prompting last week during an interview with The Associated Press about his race with Democratic challenger Paul Davis.

Davis voted as a legislator against proposals to add the gay-marriage ban to the state constitution.