Republican Sen. Pat Roberts greets independent candidate Greg Orman before the start of their debate at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson.

Hutchinson ? Organizers of the Kansas State Fair debates in Hutchinson had planned on having three U.S. Senate candidates. But following Democrat Chad Taylor’s abrupt withdrawal from the race on Wednesday, Republican Sen. Pat Roberts was left to face only the independent challenger, Greg Orman.

And while the crowd was slightly smaller than the one for the gubernatorial debate that had wrapped up a few minutes earlier, the Senate debate drew national media attention, in part because the race could be pivotal in deciding which party controls the U.S. Senate next year.

Roberts, a three-term incumbent who finds himself vulnerable in the race, spent the hour touting his Republican credentials and trying to paint Orman as a liberal Democrat, making reference to President Barack Obama and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, of Nevada, in almost every statement.

“We must stop the Obama agenda, but before we can do that we have to break Harry Reid’s stranglehold on the Senate,” Roberts said. “The choice is clear. I am the only candidate here who will vote to put Harry Reid out to pasture.”

But Orman refused to be classified.

“I realize it’s sometimes difficult to know what to think about a nonpartisan candidate,” he said. “My opponent would like you to believe I’m a liberal masquerading as an independent. I’m sure Democrats are starting to call me a conservative. I guess they can’t even agree on that.”

Both candidates were asked about the impact of Taylor’s withdrawal and specifically about Roberts’ earlier statements alleging that it was a “corrupt bargain” with national Democrats that effectively disenfranchised Democratic voters in Kansas.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen national Democrats work hard to get a Democrat off the ballot,” Roberts said. “When (Sen.) Claire McCaskill calls and urges a Democrat to get off the ballot, you know something fishy is going on.”

But Orman insisted he had no part in the deal and immediately fired back at Roberts: “It’s the first time I’ve heard a Republican complain about disenfranchising Democratic voters,” Orman said. “I want to go to Washington to get beyond partisanship and to focus on problem solving.”

Two days before the debate, Roberts’ longtime aide Leroy Towns stepped down as campaign director while national Republican officials moved in to take over the campaign. That was in response to polls that had shown Roberts barely leading in a three-way race, but possibly losing in a head-to-head match-up against Orman.

Also in the race, however, is Libertarian candidate Randall Batson, who was not invited to be part of the debate.

Roberts was also asked about his residency, an issue that dogged him during his heated primary race against tea party challenger Milton Wolf.

“I know more about Kansas than anybody else on this stage,” he said. “I am a fourth-generation Kansan. I was born here, educated here, done my life’s work here. Don’t tell me I’m not from Kansas. The people of Kansas elected me to go to the U.S. Senate. The U.S. Senate is in Washington.”

Unlike Milton Wolf, though, Orman tried to put the issue aside.

“I don’t think it matters where someone lives. What matters is how they vote,” Orman said. “And when it comes to voting for Kansas and standing up for Kansas values, Sen. Roberts has taken a sharp turn to the right.”

But perhaps the central issue in the debate was not about their positions on any policy, but rather which party they would represent and who they would support as the next majority leader.

Roberts said his priority is to depose Sen. Reid, whom he blamed for blocking legislation passed by the Republican-controlled House.

Orman, however, said he would support whichever party agrees to focus on solving problems.

The debate was organized by WIBW-AM radio in Topeka and was carried live on the Kansas Ag Network.

Asked about his own campaign staff shakeup, Roberts tried to downplay it, saying he had only expanded it.

“We added people to our campaign because we had a primary campaign,” he said. “This is a general campaign. We know the national Democrats will come in, so we have added to our campaign.”

“Well it’s nice that he could bring in some of his neighbors to help him win this race,” Orman said later.