Adam Hamilton ends Kansas’s 94-year Democratic Senate drought, defeating Roger Marshall

Democrat Adam Hamilton has defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas, becoming the first Democrat to win a Senate seat there since 1932. The upset ends a long Republican streak in the state and weakens the party’s effort to retain its Senate majority, despite a last-minute campaign visit by President Donald Trump.

Hamilton, a Methodist pastor, focused on rising costs for farmers, including fuel and fertiliser, and gained support from independents and some moderate Republicans. Republican groups spent more than $26 million on advertising for Marshall, while Hamilton and Democratic groups spent over $38 million; total advertising reached about $71 million. Trump won Kansas by more than 16 points in 2024, underlining the scale of Hamilton’s victory.