• Office Sought: Senator, Kansas
• Birth Date: April 20, 1936
• Occupation: Journalist, Marine
• Spouse: Franki
• Religion: Methodist
• Web site: http://roberts.senate.gov/

Education

Kansas State University, BA

Military service

Marine Corps

Pat Roberts was born in Topeka, Kan., and resides in Dodge City. His father, the late Wes Roberts, was chairman of the Republican National Committee under President Eisenhower. His great-grandfather founded the weekly Oskaloosa Independent, Kansas' second-oldest newspaper.

Roberts graduated from Holton (Kan.) High School in 1954 and received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Kansas State University in 1958. He served four years in the Marine Corps, 1958 to 1962, completing service as a captain.

He was publisher of a newspaper in Litchfield, Ariz., from 1962 to 1967, then was administrative assistant to the late U.S. Sen. Frank Carlson from 1967 to 1968. He served as an administrative assistant to the late U.S. Rep. Keith Sebelius from 1968 to 1980.

When Sebelius did not seek re-election in 1980, Roberts won the seat and was re-elected each two years through 1994. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1996, replacing the retiring Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, and drew no Democratic opposition to his bid for a second term.

Roberts and his wife, Franki, have three children.