Senate Republican strategists are pushing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Michael (Mike) Richard PompeoThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep Trump's foreign policy successes confound his detractors It's time for a Jackson-Vanik Amendment for China MORE as a failsafe candidate to keep retiring Sen. Pat Roberts Charles (Pat) Patrick RobertsThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - Trump seeks to flip 'Rage' narrative; Dems block COVID-19 bill GOP senators say coronavirus deal dead until after election Trump says he'll sign USPS funding if Democrats make concessions MORE’s (Kan.) seat in Republican hands in 2020, fearing the state could give Democrats an upset victory.

The push comes as Kansas Republicans have been chastened by recent Democratic victories in the state’s race for governor, where Laura Kelly beat conservative Republican Kris Kobach, and a key House race, where Democrat Sharice Davids Sharice DavidsRaces heat up for House leadership posts GOP leader says he doesn't want Chamber's endorsement: 'They have sold out' US Chamber of Commerce set to endorse 23 House freshman Democrats MORE beat incumbent Rep. Kevin Yoder Kevin Wayne YoderBottom line Amanda Adkins wins GOP primary to challenge Rep. Sharice Davids Sharice Davids to vote for Trump impeachment articles: 'The facts are uncontested' MORE (R).

“We lost a governor’s race. We lost a key House race for a seat that was held by Republicans for several terms. We can’t afford to head into November of 2020 worried about whether a Republican can hang onto the Senate seat in a Republican state like Kansas,” said a Senate GOP strategist.

“If Mike Pompeo is the nominee in Kansas, the race comes off the map,” the strategist added. “And, by the way, he would make a phenomenal senator.”

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Republicans are also worried about a strong Democratic performance in the 2020 presidential election, when Democratic turnout is typically stronger, and Trump’s low popularity in suburban areas, as seen in the 2018 midterm election.

Strategists say that Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzLoeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Health care in the crosshairs with new Trump Supreme Court list 'Parks and Rec' cast members hosting special reunion to raise money for Wisconsin Democrats MORE’s (R) narrow reelection over liberal Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) in Texas opened their eyes to the danger faced by Republican candidates even in deep-red states because of the unpredictable political currents stoked by Trump.

“Trump has a serious problem with urban women,” said a third GOP strategist with strong ties to Kansas.

“Even in Texas, there was a massive undervote where 300,000 Republican voters who supported Greg Abbot didn’t support Cruz,” the source added, referring to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's reelection.

There’s fear among Republicans that Trump may weigh on the federal race by turning off middle-of-the-road Republicans and suburban women.

The GOP strategist with Kansas ties noted that two lawmakers from the Kansas City suburbs, state Sen. Dinah Sykes and state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, last month announced they would leave the Republican Party to represent their districts as Democrats.

“I’m sure McConnell is nervous,” the source said, speculating that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellSenate Republicans signal openness to working with Biden Hillicon Valley: DOJ indicts Chinese, Malaysian hackers accused of targeting over 100 organizations | GOP senators raise concerns over Oracle-TikTok deal | QAnon awareness jumps in new poll The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (R-Ky.) would love to see Pompeo run for Roberts’s seat. “If you can have someone like Kevin Yoder lose in the 3rd District, I would be nervous. That state is purple.”

The Kansas Senate race made Republican leaders in Washington sweat in 2014 when Roberts ran into a tougher-than-expected challenge from independent challenger Greg Orman, who was expected to caucus with the Democrats.

Polls showed Orman leading Roberts weeks before Election Day, but the Republican senator rallied to win by 10 points.

Roberts, at the urging of leadership-connected strategists in Washington, hired campaign whizz Corry Bliss to turn around his floundering campaign.

The big question is whether Pompeo would be interested. He is one of Trump’s most trusted advisers and secretary of State is generally seen as a more prestigious position than senator.

Former Sens. Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonBarr criticizes DOJ in speech declaring all agency power 'is invested in the attorney general' Virginia Democrat blasts Trump's 'appalling' remark about COVID-19 deaths in 'blue states' The Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally MORE (D-N.Y.) and John Kerry John Forbes KerryThe Memo: Warning signs flash for Trump on debates Divided country, divided church TV ads favored Biden 2-1 in past month MORE (D-Mass.) both left Congress to head the State Department under former President Obama.

But Trump’s Cabinet has been marked by a rapid rate of turnover, and favorite advisers can find themselves quickly on the outs, such as former Defense Secretary James Mattis James Norman MattisBiden courts veterans amid fallout from Trump military controversies Trump says he wanted to take out Syria's Assad but Mattis opposed it Gary Cohn: 'I haven't made up my mind' on vote for president in November MORE and former White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE.

The State Department press office did not respond to a request for comment Friday.

Republicans currently control 53 seats in the Senate but they face a much tougher election map in 2020 than they did in 2018, when they picked up two seats. The GOP will have to defend 22 Senate seats next year.

The early focus has been on vulnerable incumbent Sens. Cory Gardner Cory Scott GardnerHouse approves bill to secure internet-connected federal devices against cyber threats Congress needs to finalize space weather bill as solar storms pose heightened threat Trump courts Florida voters with moratorium on offshore drilling MORE (R-Colo.) and Susan Collins Susan Margaret CollinsThe Hill's Campaign Report: Biden asks if public can trust vaccine from Trump ahead of Election Day | Oklahoma health officials raised red flags before Trump rally Gideon leads Collins by 12 points in Maine Senate race: poll Senate leaders quash talk of rank-and-file COVID-19 deal MORE (R-Maine), who face reelection in states Clinton carried in 2016, but the announcement Friday that Roberts will not run for a fifth term has also put Kansas on the map.

“Everyone would like him to run because he was strong in his district and I think he’s got a million dollars in his campaign account,” said another Republican strategist. “He graduated No. 1 in his class from West Point.”

Pompeo represented Kansas’s 4th District for three terms in the House before Trump tapped him to serve as Central Intelligence Agency director in 2017. He consistently won reelection with more than 60 percent of the vote.

A report filed with the Federal Election Commission shows that his old House campaign account has $989,000 in cash on hand.

State Rep. J.R. Claeys (R), who served as Kobach’s campaign manager in his 2018 gubernatorial bid, said fears of a Democratic takeover in Kansas are overblown.

But he acknowledged that Pompeo would rise to the top of the field if he decided to run for the Senate.

“I don’t know about it being a seat vulnerable to Democrats. I think that’s probably an inflated claim. We’ve got the longest streak in the nation, I think, on holding both seats in Republican hands,” he said. “I think we’ll have a solid field on the Republican side."

“But, yeah, I think Pompeo would definitely rise to the top of any field of candidates,” he added.

Claeys said he doesn’t know what Pompeo might be thinking, but speculated the race could be tempting given that he would be an early favorite.

“I think it would be hard for anyone in that position to not consider it,” he said. “He’s the secretary of State right now. It would be tough for him to give up that position to run for Senate, though I do think he would consider it.”

Claeys said other possible candidates include Rep. Roger Marshall Roger W. MarshallThe Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by National Industries for the Blind - VP nominee Harris, VP Pence crisscross Wisconsin today GOP uses debunked theory to downplay COVID-19 death toll Bank lobbying group launches ad backing Collins reelection bid MORE (R-Kan.) from the 1st District, sitting Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer, who took the job when former Gov. Sam Brownback left to become an ambassador, and businessman Wink Hartman.

Meanwhile, Matt Schlapp, chairman of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), is believed to be considering a Senate bid and started to get calls about a potential run on Friday, according to The Washington Examiner.

Kobach could also run for the seat and be a serious contender, although Claeys said he’s unsure if his former boss is interested.

Another name that has emerged is recently retired Rep. Lynn Jenkins Lynn Haag JenkinsBottom line Former GOP Rep. Costello launches lobbying shop Kansas Republican dropping Senate bid to challenge GOP rep MORE (R-Kan.), who represented the 2nd District.

But Jenkins recently got married and is starting her own lobbying firm, so GOP strategists don’t think she’s likely to run for Senate.