OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is working to energize his conservative Republican political base with events featuring former GOP presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

Santorum called Brownback a warrior for conservative social and fiscal ideas during a rally Monday in Olathe. Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, says the governor’s race in Kansas shouldn’t be close because of Brownback’s small government, low-tax philosophy and his opposition to abortion and gay marriage.

Santorum ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012.

Brownback casts the race between him and Democrat Paul Davis as a choice between Ronald Reagan-style conservatism and Barack Obama-style liberalism.

The Davis campaign issued a statement saying it’s looking for moderate, common sense policies.

Brownback also faces Wichita landscaping business owner Jennifer Winn in the Aug. 5 Republican primary.

 

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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum plans to join Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback for re-election campaign rallies in Olathe and Wichita.

The first event Monday morning was at an Olathe car dealership, and the second in the afternoon was at a Wichita theater. Brownback’s campaign sent out an email to supporters last week urging them to attend and help spread what it called its conservative message.

Santorum has strong appeal among GOP conservatives in Kansas. Santorum ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 but won the Kansas caucuses by a wide margin. He is a former Pennsylvania senator.

Brownback has a potentially tough challenger in presumed Democratic nominee Paul Davis. But the governor also faces Wichita landscaping business owner Jennifer Winn in the Aug. 5 Republican primary.