Republican Sen. Pat Roberts isn’t saying much about his long record of advocating for the farmers that drive Kansas’ economy.

That worries some supporters of the three-term senator as he scrambles for re-election against a self-styled independent candidate, businessman Greg Orman, who’s become a real threat.

Roberts instead is banking on antipathy toward President Barack Obama, which runs high in the state.

A cattle farmer, Roger Slaven, credits Roberts for keeping a lot of farmers in business by supporting crop insurance. Slaven says the senator should be more vocal about it.

Republicans are counting on winning in Kansas as they reach for Senate control in the Nov. 4 election.