When former Congressman Dr. Bill Roy first ran for the United States Senate in 1974, he was one of only 200 people or so in the United States who held both a law degree and a medical degree. He passed away yesterday in Topeka, Kansas at the age of 88.
Dr. Roy was elected to Congress in 1970 from Kansas' 2nd Congressional District and was re-elected in 1972. In 1974, he ran against then-Senator Bob Dole who was seeking his third term. The campaign is still regarded as one of the dirtiest in Kansas history.
The lion's share of the dirt came from one side. As one example, the weekend before the election, cars at Catholic churches were leafletted with flyers playing "the abortion card" on OBGYN Dr. Roy. Roy wound up losing to Dole by a single percentage point.
In 1978, when incumbent Senator James B. Pearson announced his retirement, Roy again threw his hat in the ring. His main opportunity had passed, however, and Roy was beaten by Nancy Kassebaum, granddaughter of 1936 GOP presidential nominee, Alf Landon.
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