Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts wins re-election in Kansas, CBS projects

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Kansas Republican Senator Pat Roberts has won re-election to a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, CBS projected on Tuesday, fending off a strong challenge from an independent businessman and boosting Republican hopes of winning a Senate majority. Roberts, 78, who was first elected in 1996, defeated Greg Orman, who criticized the incumbent’s long tenure in Washington. Roberts questioned whether Orman’s past ties to Democrats meant that he was a true independent. (Reporting by Marina Lopes and Susan Cornwell in Washington; Editing by Peter Cooney)