Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has approached several top GOP donors, including Sheldon Adelson, head of the Republican Jewish Coalition, to "gauge interest" in his possibly running for an open seat in Kansas next year, according to news reports Wednesday.
Pompeo, 55, who was CIA director before his current role, has also talked with billionaire industrialist Charles Koch, a Kansas resident, and donors tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, McClatchy reports.
McClatchy cited "three sources familiar with the matter" in its report.
"I know that that's true," one source aware of the Adelson discussion said. "I know that he has spoken with substantial people with the means to help him in the last few months.
"He's been openly considering it."
Both Adelson, the Republican Party's largest donor, and Koch "were receptive to Pompeo's overtures," but "no concrete commitments have been made," the sources said.
Pompeo, who represented Kansas for seven years in the U.S. House, is weighing a Senate run next year for the seat held by the retiring Sen. Pat Roberts.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday in London that he would encourage him to step down and run if the Republicans were in danger of losing the seat.
But Pompeo would be expected to win easily in deep-red Kansas, McClatchy reports.
"Successful politicians are always running scared," another source familiar with the Adelson discussions told McClatchy. "They're always making sure they'd be well-funded before making such a leap."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.