The last time Kansas sent a Democratic senator to Washington was 1932. This November's midterm elections may finally rewrite that history after 94 years, and the candidate who could do it is Pastor Adam Hamilton. About three decades ago, Hamilton founded The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, which has since grown into the largest Methodist congregation in the United States, with nine locations. On the 4th of this month, Hamilton won the Democratic primary for a Kansas Senate seat and will face Republican incumbent Roger Marshall in the general election. Talking with Hamilton, it is easy to see how he built such a large church. His plain, earnest way of speaking puts listeners at ease and explains issues simply. In his sermons, he offers kindness and common sense rooted in biblical wisdom rather than warnings of hellfire. His congregation is made up of roughly equal shares of Republicans, Democrats and independents.
Hamilton entered politics because of President Donald Trump. "President Trump has torn down the values I have preached for 35 years," he said, adding that watching the news every day, he came to believe someone had to stop it. The first obstacle Hamilton faced before running was his wife, LaVon Hamilton. "If you're going to run, you'll have to find a new spouse," she said, blocking his entry into politics. Hamilton, too, initially held back, saying his role was to encourage others to run for office, not to run himself. Before long, however, LaVon told him she thought she had been wrong, and gave her support to his candidacy.
The Hamiltons set out in March on a tour of 18 cities. From residents, they heard voices of frustration, disappointment and anger toward the political establishment. Kansas, where agriculture is a major industry, has been hit hard by the rise in oil prices caused by the war with Iran. The state also faces tariffs and cuts of billions of dollars to healthcare support and to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Kansas has 28 rural hospitals at risk of closing, the most of any U.S. state. According to a report by Democrats on the Joint Economic Committee, farmers nationwide spent $1.4 billion more on diesel fuel during this spring's planting season than a year earlier. The increase in Kansas reached 84%, the fifth-highest in the country. That reality was enough to firm up Hamilton's resolve. "I became 87.2% certain that I had to run," he said.
Within a week of announcing his candidacy, Hamilton raised $1 million in campaign funds. Two months into the campaign, that total had grown to $3.66 million. Though he had declared his candidacy only months earlier, he won easily in a primary that drew 11 rivals. Now he must take on a formidable opponent in Republican Senator Marshall. Marshall, a former physician, claims the 2020 presidential election that Democrat Joe Biden won was fraudulent. During Trump's first term, as a member of the House of Representatives, he voted with the president's policies 98.3% of the time.
Given Trump's missteps, this election is a clear opportunity for Hamilton. Kansas has long been a Republican-leaning region, but recent signs point to change. One poll showed a tight race, with Marshall at 46% and Hamilton at 45%. There is ample time for change to come through a Democratic victory. The chance to elect a moderate Democrat, restoring the balance of power in the United States, should be welcomed. Having cared for people suffering through divorce, suicide and bankruptcy for decades, Hamilton has a sense of empathy and compassion stronger than most. He has also said that if elected, he would bring his pastoral experience to the Senate.
The small Kansas town of Liberal is home to a museum devoted to the novel "The Wizard of Oz." Hamilton recently visited the town and said that Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital, is full of people who have lost their minds — a reference to the Scarecrow's search for a brain in the story. "There are also plenty of cowardly lions afraid to tell the truth," Hamilton said. "They stay obedient out of fear of losing a primary. In the end, they only find their voice after they've lost." Real courage, he cried, is saying "this is wrong" even when everything could be lost. Now the end of nearly a century of Republican dominance in Kansas is in sight.
