( CNN ) -- The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is coming to the rescue of Republican Senator Pat Roberts , airing its first television ad in Kansas starting Wednesday morning , CNN has learned . The Chamber of Commerce has been playing a big role this election year by spending millions on ads to prop up incumbents in GOP primaries , and now in the general election , to help defeat Democratic incumbents . Spending money in the ruby red state of Kansas to defend Roberts was hardly the original plan for the Chamber of Commerce . But after the Democratic Senate candidate Chad Taylor dropped out , and Orman , an independent , began rising in the polls , the group decided to join several others to try to save Roberts , and potentially a GOP takeover of the Senate . Related : Republicans hit South Dakota airwaves . Orman 's calling card is that he is a businessman outside Washington and outside the party structure , beholden to no one . It 's a powerful weapon in an election where voters are even more fed up with politics and politicians than usual . The Chamber 's ad , which is set to air statewide in Kansas on broadcast and digital , is trying to crack that image of Orman by painting him as just another politician refusing to take positions on key issues , and follows the GOP talking point of the last few weeks -- linking Orman to President Obama and Democrats in the Senate . It even uses the classic Obama campaign logo for the `` O '' in Orman . Orman has donated to Democratic campaigns including Obama 's in the past , and said he voted Democrat too . But he has also voted for GOP candidates . His line is that he tried both parties , and liked neither . The ad also whacks Orman for refusing to say which party he would caucus with if he were to win the Senate seat . He has said he would caucus with the majority , but wo n't say what he would do if there is no clear majority and his decision on which party to back would be a deciding factor . CNN / ORC Poll : Roberts rebounds in Kansas Senate race . CNN is told this initial ad buy is half a million dollars . Scott Reed , former campaign manager for Bob Dole 's presidential run , heads the U.S. Chamber of Commerce 's political team . Dole , a longtime Kansas senator and good friend of Roberts , has been playing an active private and public role trying to prop him up . Last week , CNN reported that several other conservative groups from all corners were also beginning to pour resources into Kansas , including the Koch brothers ' group Americans for Prosperity . Republicans had hoped to only be defending competitive seats in Georgia and Kentucky , but Roberts tarnished image in Kansas as someone who lost touch stuck with him even after he won a tough GOP primary earlier this year .
Republican Sen. Pat Roberts is in a tough reelection fight with an independent candidate . The Democrat dropped out of the race because the independent had a better shot at winning . Republican leaning groups have rallied around Roberts in an attempt to keep the seat .