Considering all the hype that this guy received over the past year, this is something of a surprise:
Former Kansas state Sen. Nick Jordan, who at one point was the frontrunner for the GOP nomination in the 3rd district, has suddenly dropped out of the race -- which is one of the most competitive open-seat contests in the country.
Jordan lost by 16 points in 2008 to Rep. Dennis Moore (D), who is retiring at the end of this term. The congressman's wife, Stephene Moore, recently announced she would run for his seat. Jordan faced state Rep. Kevin Yoder (R) in the Aug. 3 GOP primary. However, Jordan's campaign had been dogged by comparatively poor fundraising; he raised less than $90,000 in the first three months of this year.
"With so many candidates in the Republican primary for the U.S. House of Representatives, I fear we could provide an opening for our liberal congressman's liberal wife to sneak into office in his place," Jordan said in an e-mail to supporters.
Jordan's exit effectively cedes the GOP primary to "moderate" state Rep. Kevin Yoder for now, although ex-state Rep. Patricia Lightner may give Yoder some trouble on his right.
