Early voting in Kansas has begun.
Across the state, voters will elect a U.S. Senator in the high-profile race between Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton. They’ll also choose a successor to Gov. Laura Kelly, who is term-limited from running again; a new attorney general; a secretary of state and several more statewide offices.
But where do those candidates stand on some of the biggest issues facing Kansans?
KCUR’s new series “What’s the Deal, KC?” answers your most pressing questions about how to feel informed about and engaged with politics and government in Kansas and Missouri. This week, we’re taking your questions about local ballot issues and races. Text us at 816-601-4777 to tell us what you need to know about city and county topics on your ballot.
Here are some of the most common questions KCUR got last week, when we asked what you want to know about candidates running for office in Kansas.
Q: Do Marshall’s policy positions ever deviate from the Trump Administration’s priorities?
Marshall has tied his platform closely to the president’s since the two were first elected in 2016 — the Kansas News Service’s Stephen Koranda reported Marshall has voted with Trump 98% of the time.
But, at times, he has deviated from Trump’s stances.
When U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, targeted workers in southwest Kansas, Marshall urged the agency to coordinate with local law enforcement. He expressed “frustration” at Trump’s move to import beef from foreign countries.
And when Trump threatened to block Bombardier, a Canadian aerospace manufacturer that employs some 1,500 people in Wichita, from selling planes in the U.S. in September, Marshall vowed to “fight to keep” Bombardier’s jobs in Kansas, and said he’d already taken his concerns to the Oval Office.
Q: How do candidates for Kansas Governor feel about hyperscale data centers?
Data centers have become a key issue for Americans across the country. Hyperscale data centers, which are engineered for massive workloads and can increase their capacity as needed, have drawn the most scrutiny — these are the data centers whose demands for power and water have locals worried about the strain on their electric grids and water supply.
Both candidates to replace outgoing Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Democratic state Sen. Cindy Holscher and Republican Senate President Ty Masterson supported a 2025 law that included tax incentives for data center developers. Holscher changed her position after blowback from constituents. She told KCUR’s Up To Date she now supports a moratorium on new data center developments.
“I've asked for a pause, essentially, to get everybody, all the different parties, on the same page," Holscher said. "Because after doing over 80 town halls across the state, I was hearing from the people in terms of their concern for potential depletion or polluting of their water, jacking up of utility bills, and the fact that in some areas, when some of these hyperscale data centers have come into communities, the jobs didn't manifest.”
The Kansas Reflector reported that Masterson has continued to defend that law, and says that it contains provisions that protect communities and that local officials still have control over whether data center projects can be developed.
Q: Where do candidates for the U.S. Senate in Kansas stand on term limits for Congress?
Hamilton has made term limits a tenet of his campaign. According to his campaign website, Hamilton supports passing a constitutional amendment establishing term limits for Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. He supports a maximum of 18 years of service combined between the House, Senate and White House, as well as age limits for Congress and the Supreme Court.
Marshall has also historically supported term limits. In 2016, he signed a pledge stating that he would serve no more than three terms in the U.S. House and no more than two in the Senate. He co-sponsored a resolution in 2023 that proposed similar term limits for all of Congress.
Q: How else can I find what candidates stand for?
Being an informed voter can be tricky, but Amber Dickinson, associate professor of political science at Washburn University, told KCUR’s Up To Date that it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Once you know where your own beliefs lie, reading candidates’ campaign websites can help you understand their priorities, and how they compare to your own.
If you’re not sure who’s running, KCUR’s voter guide is a great place to start. And, Dickinson says, be skeptical of TV ads. They can often be misleading.
What's the deal, KC? Text KCUR your questions about the Nov. 3 election.
KCUR's new series is answering your most pressing questions about Kansas City's biggest issues. Early voting has begun across the Kansas City metro! When you go to cast your ballot, you’ll also be voting on local issues, too. What do you want to know about the KC-area races and questions at the city and county level? Text KCUR at 816-601-4777.
