Democrats eye first Kansas Senate seat in 94 years
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Republicans are facing a tightening race in the U.S. Senate election in Kansas, which could give Democrats their first Senate seat in the state in 94 years. The last time a Democratic candidate won a Senate election in Kansas was 1932. In the midterm election on November 3, Adam Hamilton, a 62-year-old pastor and moderate Democratic candidate, is challenging 66-year-old Republican Senator Roger Marshall, a close ally of President Donald Trump. Although Trump won Kansas by 57% just two years ago, Republicans are having to commit more resources to the state, sending Vice President JD Vance to the state to energize the base for Marshall, while the Senate Leadership Fund launched a 10.1 million dollar advertising campaign late last week, more than double the ad spending already used by Marshall's campaign team. Hamilton raised 1 million dollars in the first week after announcing his candidacy in April, and by mid-July had raised more than 4 million dollars, with roughly 7.8 million dollars in advertising booked in the state. A New York Times/Siena poll shows the two candidates tied among likely voters, and the Cook Political Report has shifted the rating of the Kansas race toward Democrats twice since August, from Solid Republican to Likely Republican and most recently to Lean Republican. The Kansas race matters to the national equation because Democrats need a net gain of four seats to win a Senate majority.