Senate Republicans have long been concerned about Mr. Kobach’s candidacy, and for months they sought to woo Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman, into the race. They have grown even more uneasy in recent days, though, after reviewing the results of Senate Republican polling: The surveys showed Mr. Trump leading only narrowly in the state and found that nearly 30 percent of Republican primary voters indicated they would support the Democrat in the Senate race, state Senator Barbara Bollier, if Mr. Kobach were the nominee, according to two Republicans familiar with the data.
Mr. Trump has expressed frustration that he endorsed Mr. Kobach’s bid for governor two years ago only to watch him lose, and many congressional Republicans believed the president would try to halt Mr. Kobach’s candidacy this year.
But party officials became gravely alarmed Thursday after getting word that the president was not inclined to support Mr. Marshall.
According to two people familiar with the conversation, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas used an Air Force One flight with the president on Wednesday to steer Mr. Trump away from supporting Mr. Marshall. Mr. Cruz told Mr. Trump that Mr. Marshall had supported former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, now a vocal Trump critic, in the 2016 primary. Mr. Cruz, who himself ran against Mr. Trump, has sought to lift some anti-establishment candidates and his top political adviser is working for another candidate in the race.
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