Adam Hamilton wins Kansas 2026 Senate election, CBS News projects, flipping seat for Democrats

Updated on: November 4, 2026 / 12:03 AM EST / CBS News

Washington — Democratic Reverend Adam Hamilton defeated GOP Sen. Roger Marshall in the Kansas Senate race, CBS News projects, unseating the incumbent in a major upset that comes as the state hasn't elected a Democrat to the Senate in nearly a century.

Hamilton, 62, leads the U.S.' largest United Methodist church and is a well-known author and speaker. He took on Marshall, who was seeking a second term in the Senate after representing Kansas in the House since 2017.

Marshall, 66, is a medical doctor who worked for 25 years as an obstetrician-gynecologist and served in the U.S. Army Reserves before coming to Capitol Hill, where he's been a reliable supporter of the president's agenda. But he was put on the defensive as he sought another term in the chamber, as the race in Kansas became surprisingly competitive amid the challenge from Hamilton, a centrist Democrat.

Hamilton is a fifth-generation Kansan who ran on an affordability-focused agenda, while aiming to bring together a cross-party coalition in what at first seemed like a long-shot bid to take on Marshall. Kansas last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1932…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/