Kansas Elects Its First Democratic US Senator in Nearly a Century
Adam Hamilton defeated Sen. Roger Marshall, ending a Republican winning streak in Kansas Senate races that stretched back to the Great Depression.
Kansas voters did something on Tuesday that the state had not done in nearly a century: they elected a Democrat to the US Senate.
The result
Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, according to race calls by NBC News and the Associated Press. The AP described the win as snapping a 94-year losing streak in Senate races for Kansas Democrats. Reuters noted it was the first Democratic Senate victory in Kansas since the Great Depression.
A compilation of AP calls on Wednesday morning put Hamilton’s margin at about five points.
Why it is so unusual
Kansas has long been one of the most reliably Republican states in federal races. Democrats have occasionally won the governor’s office, including outgoing Gov. Laura Kelly, but Senate races have been a different story since 1932.
The result is a sign of how difficult the national environment became for Republicans this year.
The national picture
Kansas was one of seven Senate seats that flipped from Republican to Democratic on Tuesday, along with North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Maine. No seat flipped the other way.
Exit polling pointed to the cost of living as a dominant issue. The NBC News exit poll found that large majorities of voters were concerned about grocery, gas and utility costs, and President Donald Trump’s approval among voters stood at 38 percent.
What it means for the Senate
Democrats needed a net gain of four seats to win the majority. They gained at least seven, and the AP called Senate control for Democrats late Tuesday night after the result in Iowa.
Who is Roger Marshall
Marshall, a physician, was elected to the Senate in 2020 after serving in the House. He was seeking a second term and was considered a favorite at the start of the cycle, reflecting the state’s long Republican lean in federal races.
Uncalled in Kansas
Kansas’s governor’s race, an open seat after Gov. Kelly reached her term limit, was still uncalled as of Wednesday morning.
Hamilton will be sworn in when the new Congress convenes in January, joining a Senate where Democrats hold at least 54 seats.
How we reported this
This report is based on information confirmed by the Associated Press or by at least two major news organizations, as noted in the text. Claims that have not been independently verified are identified as such. BURN VOC will update this story as new information is released.
