Marshall, Texas

Democrat Adam Hamilton has defeated Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in Kansas, ending 94 years without a Democratic Senate win in the state since 1932. Hamilton, a Kansas City-area megachurch pastor and former Republican, won roughly 52% to 45% with most ballots counted, campaigning on tariffs, health care, Medicaid, and ending U.S. involvement in the Iran conflict. Trump campaigned twice for Marshall, attacking Hamilton as a "radical left" pastor, while Vance echoed the attacks. Marshall, an obstetrician-turned-senator, faced scrutiny over suing hundreds of former patients. The race, part of a broader Democratic wave flipping at least seven Senate and 27 House seats, drew over $100 million in combined spending.

President Trump traveled to Park City, Kansas, near Wichita, to rally support for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), who faces an unexpectedly competitive reelection fight against Democrat Adam Hamilton, a Methodist pastor. It was Trump's first Kansas rally since 2018, underscoring how close the race has become in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in 94 years.

Marshall used the event to attack Hamilton's attempt to present himself as a moderate, calling him a "far-left radical" out of step with Kansas voters, while Hamilton has sought to appeal to independents and some Trump supporters. The candidates are set to debate Wednesday, with early voting already underway ahead of Election Day, two weeks out.

Kansas Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton, longtime pastor at Church of the Resurrection, acknowledged in a CNN interview that he did not call police after learning a volunteer, Scott Moore, was accused of molesting teenage boys at church camp retreats in 2005. Hamilton said reporting such cases to law enforcement was not standard practice at the time, though he said in hindsight police should have been called immediately. Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall has highlighted the episode in a statewide ad campaign, claiming Hamilton allowed Moore to return as a camp counselor in 2006, when he allegedly molested another child. The controversy has become a flashpoint in the closely watched Senate race.

A legal and political standoff between St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and Police Chief Axel Henry has escalated into a lawsuit, a city-commissioned investigation, and mounting taxpayer costs. Henry sued Her on Sept. 23, alleging sexual harassment and violations of whistleblower and data-practices laws. A 76-page report by outside firm Resolute Law, released in redacted form Oct. 1, found the mayor acted inappropriately in several instances—including sharing sexualized memes and altered photos, and discussing her body with two female employees—but did not substantiate sexual harassment or retaliation claims by either side.

The city has already spent over $43,000 on the investigation and hired an employment law firm at $500 an hour, with costs expected to grow. Legal experts anticipate a settlement that would likely see Henry leave city employment. Removing Henry as chief or recalling Her before 2028 would both require difficult legal thresholds under the city charter, making a negotiated resolution the most probable outcome.

Holly Thomas, owner of Holly's Sweet Treats in Hutchinson, Kansas, says Sen. Roger Marshall's 2020 primary campaign never paid a $678.75 invoice for cookies and treats ordered for an election watch party. In a Facebook post published October 8, Thomas said she spent nearly a year trying to collect payment through calls and emails but never received a response or the money owed. She said the unpaid order came at a difficult time for her small, newly opened bakery during the pandemic, when "every single dollar mattered."

The story has drawn renewed attention to Marshall, a physician-turned-senator with an estimated net worth of $7.2 million, amid separate reporting on his past medical practice pursuing patients over far smaller unpaid debts. Critics have pointed to the contrast as an example of perceived double standards among wealthy officials. Marshall's office has not issued a public response to Thomas's account.

Kansas, which has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932, has become an unexpected battleground as megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton mounts a competitive challenge against Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. At least one recent poll showed Hamilton with a narrow lead, prompting race-rating shifts from safe Republican to competitive. His campaign taps into farm-belt frustration over tariffs and rising costs that has also unsettled GOP prospects in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Hamilton, founder of the country's largest Methodist congregation, casts himself as a moderate and independent-minded Democrat, criticizing Trump-era policies on tariffs, health care, and immigration while promising a less partisan tone. Marshall and Republican surrogates, including Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz, have attacked Hamilton's church and theology, drawing rebukes from Methodist clergy. Marshall also faces scrutiny over lawsuits against patients for unpaid medical bills. Trump's approval in the state has slipped, adding to signs of Republican vulnerability in a seat long considered secure.

The Cook Political Report moved its ratings for two Senate races on Sept. 23, shifting Kansas from Likely Republican to Lean Republican and South Carolina from Solid Republican to Likely Republican, while still favoring the GOP in both. Cook cited economic pressures in Kansas—fuel, fertilizer and trade-war concerns—and questions over Sen. Roger Marshall's medical billing practices in his race against Democrat Adam Hamilton. In South Carolina, Sen. Lindsey Graham's uneven debate performances and a write-in campaign for primary rival Ralph Norman have raised doubts, though Democrat Annie Andrews remains an underdog. Cook also moved Georgia's race, between Sen. Jon Ossoff and Rep. Mike Collins, from Lean Democrat to Likely Democrat, citing Ossoff's fundraising edge.

Cook now rates overall Senate control a Toss Up, projecting Democrats could net one to five seats; they need four for the majority. Analysts noted a favorable Democratic environment but stressed Republicans' financial advantage and the number of heavily red seats Democrats must still flip.