Adam Hamilton becomes first Democrat in 94 years to win Senate election in Kansas

Megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton stunned Sen.Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) in Tuesday’s election — becoming the first Democrat elected to the Senate from the Sunflower State since 1932.Hamilton garnered 52.1% of the vote, compared to Marshall’s 45%, with 94% of the ballots tallied as of 11 pm EST. Marshall’s defeat in his bid for a second term represented a worst-case scenario for Republicans, who were swamped by a blue wave that saw them lose control of the House of Representatives and now likely the Senate.Marshall himself was keen to avoid complacency among his supporters, declaring at a debate last month that “control of the Senate goes through Kansas” and appealing to backers of President Trump to turn out.“If you want [it] to continue, you need to come out,” he said, “because we delivered.”Soaring diesel prices in the agriculture-dependent state and a series of controversies involving Marshall brought Hamilton to within striking distance of the incumbent in polling during the weeks leading up to Election Day.Follow for live updates on the 2026 Midterm ElectionsThe nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the race a “toss-up” last month, and Trump made two stop in Kansas to stump for Marshall as part of his tour of midterm battlegrounds.

Marshall, an obstetrician-gynecologist, came under fire after the New York Times reported in September that he had sued some 700 of his patients over unpaid bills.The senator argue that litigation decisions were “out of our hands” after unpaid bills were turned over to collections agencies and said he was using the “same practice” as other doctors and hospitals.Hamilton’s campaign, however, seized on the report — putting out a powerful attack ad featuring one of Marshall’s patients, Meischa Zimmerman, who claimed she was sued by the senator and arrested while eight months pregnant after she missed a medical debt payment with an 18% interest rate.“Roger Marshall preyed on the low-income families...