一名特朗普政治高级顾问被任命为帮助提升堪萨斯州参议员罗杰·马歇尔竞选活动的力量，时间点是11月3日大选前的几周，这表明共和党人正在匆忙努力捍卫这个红州席位。
A top Trump political operative has been tapped to help boost Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall 's campaign in the weeks before the Nov. 3 election, the latest sign of how Republicans are scrambling to defend the red-state seat.
为何重要：资深策划人克里斯·格兰特的受聘凸显了共和党对堪萨斯州参议院竞选日益增长的焦虑。马歇尔正与民主党人亚当·汉密尔顿展开胶着竞争，而在2024年，特朗普曾以16个百分点的优势赢得该州。
Why it matters: The hiring of veteran strategist Chris Grant reflects the GOP's growing anxiety over Kansas' Senate race. Marshall is running neck and neck with Democrat Adam Hamilton in a state President Trump won by 16 points in 2024.
- 共和党人担心失去堪萨斯州可能成为导致他们丧失参议院多数席位的多米诺骨牌效应。
• Republicans fear losing Kansas could be a domino in costing them their Senate majority. Driving the news:
推动新闻：共和党政治操作者对马歇尔的连任竞选日益感到沮丧，他们认为该竞选活动在燃油价格飙升、对堪萨斯州及中西部其他地区农民造成特别打击的时刻，力度还不够。
GOP operatives have become increasingly frustrated with Marshall's reelection campaign, which they believe hasn't been aggressive enough at a time when soaring fuel prices have particularly hurt farmers in Kansas and elsewhere in the Midwest.
- 格兰特曾在2024年帮助领导主要的亲特朗普超级政治行动委员会，并一直参与特朗普的政治运作，他将成为马歇尔的高级顾问，并在最后三周协助制定策略。
• Grant, who helped lead the main pro-Trump super PAC in 2024 and has remained involved in Trump's political operation, will be a senior adviser to Marshall and help guide strategy in the final three weeks.
- 格兰特还曾参与马歇尔2020年的参议院竞选。
• Grant also worked on Marshall's 2020 Senate campaign.
他们说：“克里斯是个绝对的专业人士，长期以来一直是马歇尔团队的朋友。让他在最后三周帮助‘安全着陆’是显而易见的选择，”马歇尔的幕僚长布伦特·罗伯森对《Axios》表示。
What they're saying: "Chris is an absolute pro who has been a longtime friend to Team Marshall. Having him help land the plane these last three weeks is a no brainer," Brent Robertson, Marshall's chief of staff, told Axios.
聚焦：两个共和党外部团体——参议院领导基金和俱乐部为成长——正向堪萨斯州竞选投入数百万美元。
Zoom in: Two GOP outside groups — the Senate Leadership Fund and Club for Growth — are pouring millions into the Kansas race.
- 参议院领导基金是与参议院共和党领导层保持一致的主要超级政治行动委员会，在从北卡罗来纳州参议院竞选转移资源后，正在堪萨斯州投入1400万美元，而在北卡罗来纳州，民主党州长罗伊·库珀在民意调查中对前共和党全国委员会主席迈克尔·惠特利具有显著领先优势。
• SLF, the principal super PAC aligned with Senate GOP leadership, is spending $14 million in Kansas after shifting resources from the Senate race in North Carolina, where Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has a significant polling lead over former Republican National Committee chair Michael Whatley.
- 特朗普周一在社交媒体帖子中表示，他将“很快”为马歇尔进行竞选活动。
• Trump said in a social media post Monday that he would campaign for Marshall "very soon."
- 一个与民主党结盟的超级政治行动委员会宣布计划投入500万美元以帮助汉密尔顿。
• A Democrat-aligned super PAC has announced plans to spend $5 million to help Hamilton. Between the lines:
读之间的意味：马歇尔最近面临着不利的新闻报道，包括《纽约时报》的一篇报道称，他的医疗诊所因未付医疗费用起诉了700多名前患者，随后其中81人因未出庭而被逮捕。
Marshall has faced damaging headlines recently, including a New York Times r eport that his medical practice sued more than 700 former patients over unpaid medical bills, and that 81 were later arrested for missing court appearances.
另一方：作为卫理公会牧师的汉密尔顿获得了堪萨斯州两位前共和党州长迈克·海登和比尔·格雷夫斯的背书。
The other side: Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, has won endorsements from two former Republican governors in Kansas, Mike Hayden and Bill Graves.