Election analysts say that Republicans’ connection to President Donald Trump and a disconnect with voters contributed to Democrats claiming major victories on Tuesday night in Missouri and Kansas.
The Kansas race between Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall and Democrat Adam Hamilton turned into one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
Hamilton, a Johnson County pastor of the country’s largest United Methodist church, ended a nearly century-long losing streak for Democrats in Kansas U.S. Senate races.
Speaking with KCUR’s Up To Date on Wednesday, Hamilton said the moment he realized he won was “exciting and surreal.”
“But what I really felt was just a deep sense of responsibility to make sure that we actually change things for the better, that we address the really critical issues,” Hamilton told KCUR’s Up To Date. “And I felt like it was a strong rebuke to what's going on in Washington, D.C. and I want to be part of changing that.”
At the state level in Kansas, Democrats are leading in the attorney general and governor race, which have yet to be called by the Associated Press as of Tuesday afternoon. Democrats also broke the supermajority in the Kansas House of Representatives, gaining at least 20 seats.
“The Democrats have an opportunity to address the concerns of the people, and I think that's what the voters said, is, ‘We're being ignored,’” said Bob Beatty, a political science professor at Washburn University. “That disconnect was visible, and I think that that spread nationally, and it hit Kansas as well.”
Beatty said the race between gubernatorial candidates Ty Masterson, the Republican, and Cindy Holscher, the Democrat, is one of the biggest potential upsets in Kansas history.
Holscher has already claimed victory, and in a Facebook post Masterson acknowledged the votes aren’t trending in his favor. The two are separated by fewer than 6,000 votes. Masterson said Kansas law will demand a recount given the narrow margin.
“We did not see Masterson losing,” Beatty said. “This changes everything in the state, this, along with not having the supermajority.”
In Missouri, multiple Republican-backed amendments and ballot issues failed to pass, including Amendment 3 — an attempt to once again ban nearly all abortions in the state.
At the same time, Missouri voters passed Amendment 6, making it more difficult for lawmakers to change citizen-led ballot initiatives — a response to Republican actions on paid sick leave and abortion.
Democrats were also able to break the Republican supermajorities in the House and Senate. In that “blue wave,” Democrat Keri Ingle defeated Missouri’s Republican House Speaker, Jon Patterson, for a state Senate seat in Jackson County.
Abigail Vegter, an assistant professor of political science at William Jewell College, said the election results are a signal that Missourians are frustrated with their state legislature.
“We have a state legislature that's been really used to sort of unchecked power,” Vegter said. “And I think with the breaking up of these super majorities, they're going to start to have to adjust their lawmaking practices.”
After a series of legal battles, the Missouri Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court both ruled that the redrawn congressional map referendum, Proposition A, should appear on the general election ballot.
Voters issued another defeat for Republicans by rejecting that issue, throwing out the 2025 Congressional map that aimed to create seven safe Republican districts to one safe Democrat district.
At the same time, instead of the expected 6-2 Republican makeup in Missouri’s congressional delegation, Democrats picked up a third seat when Democrat Fred Wellman defeated Republican incumbent Ann Wagner in Missouri’s 2nd District.
Vegter said it’s too early to tell if the large swing in Democrats’ favor signals any lasting shift for the Show-Me state.
“I think what we need to remember is that citizens were really the winners last night,” Vegter said. “They were the ones who were continually willing to take back their power when they felt like it was being taken from them.”
- Adam Hamilton, Kansas U.S. Senator-elect
- Bob Beatty, political science professor, Washburn University
- Abigail Vegter, political science assistant professor, William Jewell College
- U.S. Rep. Mark Alford, Missouri’s 4th Congressional District
- Chris Stigall, U.S. Representative-elect, Missouri’s 6th Congressional District
- U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II, Missouri’s 5th Congressional District
