Kansas Democratic Senate nominee Rev. Adam Hamilton has asked former Vice-President Kamala Harris not to campaign for him, arguing that her presence would damage his chances in Republican-leaning Kansas. Hamilton says he is presenting himself as an independent-minded Democrat who can attract Republican and independent voters, while Republicans accuse him of trying to distance himself from positions they associate with Harris and the national Democratic Party.

Hamilton, a pastor who won an 11-candidate Democratic primary, is challenging Republican Senator Roger Marshall for a second term. Donald Trump won Kansas over Harris in 2024 by 57.16% to 41.04%, and Kansas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1932. Harris’s recent campaign appearance with Michigan Democrat Abdul El-Sayed prompted Hamilton’s comments; Republicans are also highlighting Hamilton’s past sermons on climate change, although he has more recently supported agriculture-related legislation alongside Marshall.