Politics
Democrat Adam Hamilton challenges Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas Senate race
Liberal megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton hopes to break a Democratic losing streak in Kansas US Senate elections that dates back to 1932.
The short version
- Democrat Adam Hamilton, a 62-year-old liberal megachurch pastor, is running against incumbent Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas's November midterm election.
- Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the US Senate since 1932, marking the longest such drought for any U.S. state.
- Election forecasters report the race has become more competitive following Hamilton's primary victory and strong fundraising, though Marshall remains favored to win.
Key facts
- Democrat Adam Hamilton won 35% of the vote in an 11-candidate primary earlier this month to face Republican Senator Roger Marshall in November.[The Guardian]
- Kansas has not elected a Democratic candidate to the US Senate since 1932.[The Guardian]
- Hamilton broke a state quarterly fundraising record and primary victory reports indicate two major forecasters view the race as increasingly competitive, while still favoring Marshall.[The Guardian]
- Marshall is a former US representative and OB/GYN who was first elected to the US Senate in 2020.[The Guardian]
- Main Street Fund spent over $600,000 on Kansas ads targeting Hamilton, using sermon snippets that the Kansas City Star found were taken out of context.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- Whether Hamilton can mobilize enough moderate Republicans and voters opposed to national economic and foreign policy issues to overcome the state's historical Republican lean.[The Guardian]