Politics
Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton challenges Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas Senate race
Democratic nominee Adam Hamilton faces incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall as he seeks to end a nearly century-long Republican winning streak in Kansas Senate elections.
The short version
- Pastor Adam Hamilton, founder of the 25,000-member Church of the Resurrection, is running as the Democratic candidate against incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas.
- Republicans have targeted Hamilton over past sermons on theology, climate change, and his support for LGBTQ+ inclusion, framing him as overly liberal.
- Hamilton is campaigning as a centrist focused on affordability and decency while aiming to appeal to both moderate churchgoers and secular voters.
- The central unknown is whether Hamilton can overcome historical trends in a state where no Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat since 1932.
Key facts
- Adam Hamilton, the 61-year-old founder of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in the Kansas U.S. Senate race.[Associated Press]
- Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas since 1932, and no Democratic candidate has come within 10 percentage points in over 50 years.[Associated Press]
- Sen. Roger Marshall and Sen. Ted Cruz have criticized Hamilton over a 2022 sermon concerning salvation for non-Christians, characterizing his positions as out of step with traditional Christianity.[Associated Press]
- Hamilton supported the United Methodist Church's 2024 decision to allow LGBTQ+ clergy and leads a congregation that includes an LGBTQ+ ministry.[Associated Press]
- If elected, Hamilton intends to continue serving as senior pastor at his church, delivering 12 to 18 sermons per year.[Associated Press]
What remains uncertain
- It remains uncertain whether Hamilton's pastoral profile and centrist messaging can attract sufficient moderate and secular voters to bridge Kansas's long-standing partisan divide in federal races.[Associated Press]