JOHN HANNA, AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Republican serving as Kansas’ top elections official won’t give up on forcing Democrats to field a U.S. Senate candidate, even if the state Supreme Court orders the current nominee’s removal from the ballot.

Secretary of State Kris Kobach said Tuesday that state law requires Democratic leaders to pick a new candidate if Chad Taylor is removed from the ballot. Taylor stopped campaigning but Kobach refused to remove him from the Nov. 4 ballot.

Taylor went to the Supreme Court. It had a hearing Tuesday.

Some Democrats pushed Taylor to leave the race against three-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, seeing independent candidate Greg Orman as stronger.

Kobach said that state law requires parties to fill candidate vacancies, and he’s ready to return to the Supreme Court if necessary.