In front of a crowd at the Kansas State Fair, Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton kept hitting on Roger Marshall’s ties to President Donald Trump. The founder of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection kept his independent streak while telling audience members that the current administration that Marshall supports is not normal.
Marshall hit back asking if the Democrat would push back on issues that Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer supports. Marshall did reiterate his support for Trump policies, but Hamilton stayed down the middle on some issues.
The debate came as Democrats hope to flip the Republican seat, but history is not on their side. Kansas hasn’t had a Democratic U.S. senator since 1939.
Immigration
Both candidates said that immigration is an issue that must be addressed, but their policy ideas differ.
Keeping his independent streak, Hamilton called immigration under former President Joe Biden a “disaster,” but said it wasn’t better now.
“What we’ve done since then is a disaster, too,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton wants a year-round H2A visa program. The seasonal visa program raised some concerns when the Trump administration attempted to lower wages for immigrant workers. That was shot down in August by a federal judge, but there’s still concern in the growing Kansas dairy industry that relies on an immigrant workforce.
Marshall asked fairgoers who they trust when it comes to immigration and said the immigration crackdowns by Trump have happened for a reason.
“They took our jobs from us,” Marshall said, talking about noncitizen immigrant workers.
Beef
Both candidates raised alarms about the Kansas beef industry and high prices, but think the root causes are different.
Marshall blamed drought, the size of the current herd and government regulations for beef industry woes.
He also attacked Hamilton for preaching from the pulpit to eat less beef. This attack mirrors advertisements.
“He’s too woke and he’s too weak for Kansas,” Marshall said about Hamilton.
Marshall continued this theme despite the ads splicing two different sermons together.
Hamilton rebuked Marshall and the Trump administration’s foreign beef imports as a major concern.
“The senator needs to repent for not standing up for the beef industry,” he said. “Your job is to speak up for the people of Kansas.”
Republican concern
The Hamilton crowd was more forceful in their support.
They shouted down Marshall multiple times to the point where the incumbent had to pause before responding. Marshall supporters still were loud, but there was a significant decrease in support versus Masterson supporters earlier in the day.
Lifelong Republican Myron Ackerman was in the audience during both debates. He thinks Marshall has a bigger uphill battle than Masterson.
He called Masterson a lock. Although Ackerman is leaning toward Marshall, he’s still undecided because of his religious values.
“I think Adam is a good, solid Christian,” Ackerman said. “Unless he has changed substantially from his biblical writings, he would be an honest and effective senator.”
Zach Boblitt reports on the Kansas Statehouse for the Kansas News Service.
The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of Kansas Public Radio, KMUW, KCUR, KRPS and High Plains Public Radio.
Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished by news media at no cost with proper attribution and a link to ksnewsservice.org.