HAMILTON FLIPS KANSAS SENATE SEAT FOR DEMOCRATS

Adam Hamilton, a Democrat and Methodist megachurch pastor, has defeated Republican Senator Roger Marshall in Kansas's US Senate race, overturning a seat long considered safely Republican. The result ends a 94-year losing streak in Senate races for Kansas Democrats, the longest in the country, with spending on the race reaching $110 million, a record for Kansas. Republicans mounted a rescue effort that included two rallies by President Donald Trump, on 19 and 31 October, but Marshall lost his bid for a second term. "This is amazing. We really did make history," Hamilton told supporters, adding: "We're not flyover country. We're the heart of the country."

Hamilton is founding pastor of the Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area, a 25,000-member congregation described as the largest United Methodist church in the United States. Marshall, a retired obstetrician, was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and won his Senate seat in 2020, remaining aligned with Trump and defending the administration's tariffs and its handling of the Iran war. Hamilton's campaign appealed to moderate Republicans and independent voters frustrated by the rising cost of living and dissatisfied with Trump's handling of the economy and the Iran war. Hamilton said voters were also angered by cuts to health care and food assistance.

Hamilton's fundraising outpaced Marshall's, particularly in donations from Kansas residents. Democratic groups separately added tens of millions of dollars to the race. That advantage helped counter rallies by Trump and Vice President JD Vance, who appeared for Marshall in September and again on 26 October. In the final weeks, Republicans warned voters that electing Hamilton would help put Democrats in control of the Senate.