Republican Senator Roger Marshall is holding onto a narrow lead in the Kansas Senate race, according to the latest poll of the unusually competitive contest in the normally solidly Republican state. But his chances of winning reelection may have dwindled as he faced a hostile crowd during his first debate with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, a liberal megachurch pastor, at the Kansas State Fair on Saturday. Marshall was repeatedly booed during the debate and, at one point, the audience broke into a chant of "shame on you" as Marshall defended suing patients over unpaid medical bills.
That came as moderators questioned him about a report published in The New York Times on September 8 that said Marshall had filed more than 700 lawsuits against patients with outstanding bills during his decades-long career as an obstetrician-gynecologist. It comes as the Senate race in Kansas has become one of the more closely watched Senate contests of the 2026 midterms cycle. Republicans are fighting to preserve their slim majority in the Senate this fall, and face a difficult task given the party in power typically loses seats in midterm elections.
Democrats face a difficult path to the Senate majority, needing to flip four Republican-held seats to retake control of the chamber. Polls have indicated unexpectedly competitive contests in several conservative states and Democrats have eyed an opportunity to make inroads in Republican territory as President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have dropped amid voter concerns about the economy and the war in Iran. Democrats have not won a Senate race in Kansas since 1932 and haven’t come close to winning one in the past 50 years, but several polls have indicated the race could be close this year in a state that Trump carried by 16 points in the 2024 election.
Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to make a stop in Olathe, Kansas, on Monday to show support for Marshall, highlighting the importance of the race. Newsweek has contacted the Marshall and Hamilton campaigns for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours. Marshall remains the favorite, though some polls have indicated the race could be very close.
A co/efficient poll, conducted between September 8 and 10 among 915 likely voters, found Marshall leading Hamilton, 49 percent to 44 percent, with 5 percent saying they were undecided. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.22 percent. Other recent surveys have shown a tighter race.
A Global Strategy Group poll conducted between August 12 and 16 among 800 likely voters found Hamilton narrowly ahead, 44 percent to 43 percent. However, Hamilton’s advantage was within the survey’s margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percent. Another poll conducted in August gave Marshall a narrow lead.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
