Report: Secretary of State Pompeo to Resign for Senate Race

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is planning to resign his position in the Trump administration ahead of a run for a Senate seat in Kansas next year, Time reported Tuesday night.

According to the report, Pompeo has already discussed his plans with three senior Republicans over the past few weeks, as he mulls the exact timing of his departure from the administration.

Pompeo is reportedly planning to run in next year’s Senate race for the seat set to be vacated by senior Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts. Roberts, a Republican, announced this January that he will not seek reelection.

While Kansas is considered to be reliably Republican, Pompeo would have to face a crowded field of rival candidates for the GOP nomination, and the timing of his departure from the Trump administration could have a major impact on his chances.

Pompeo had initially planned to stay on as Secretary of State until early spring of next year, the three senior Republicans said, though Pompeo has been rethinking the timetable for his departure, following criticism from President Trump.

While Pompeo has previously denied planning to run for the Senate in 2020, he did not rule out a possible run.

Aides who previously denied the Secretary is planning on resigning declined to comment on the Time report.