Democrat Adam Hamilton defeated Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall on Tuesday, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Kansas in 94 years, according to unofficial results from the Kansas Secretary of State with all 4,168 precincts reporting.
Unofficial tallies show Hamilton received 556,414 votes (50.9 percent) to Marshall’s 503,230 (46.1 percent), a margin of 53,184 votes. Libertarian David Graham had 32,934 (3.0 percent). The last Kansas Democrat elected to the Senate was George McGill, who won in 1932.
Marshall conceded in a speech to supporters Tuesday night in Wichita. “I called Adam Hamilton. I’ve congratulated him. We’re conceding,” he said. “I don’t have any answers. I can just tell you, it’s been the great honor of my life to serve the state of Kansas for 10 years.”
Marshall opened with a verse from Proverbs and told the crowd, “I’ve always said, make disappointment an appointment with God, and that’s how the Marshall family will be doing.” He thanked his staff, volunteers and family, and said, “We’re not gonna give up fighting for this great nation.”
In the U.S. House, Republicans Tracey Mann (1st District, 59.6 percent), Derek Schmidt (2nd, 51.4 percent) and Ron Estes (4th, 53.6 percent) retained their seats, as did Democrat Sharice Davids, who won the 3rd District with 59.6 percent.
Voters statewide backed the constitutional amendment, 63.7 percent to 36.3 percent. Supreme Court Justices Eric Rosen and Larkin Walsh each had about 65 percent yes votes.
Barton, Pawnee and Stafford counties voted strongly Republican. Marshall received 67.3 percent in Barton County, 66.1 percent in Pawnee County and 69.5 percent in Stafford County.
All results are unofficial until counties canvass the vote.
Too close to call
Both the governor and attorney general races are too narrow to call by the unofficial tallies, and the results will depend on outstanding ballot results. The governor’s race is separated by 5,557 votes out of 1,087,617 counted on election night with every precinct reporting. Democrat Cindy Holscher had 546,587 votes (50.3 percent) to Republican Ty Masterson’s 541,030 (49.7 percent).
The attorney general’s race is also too close to call. Democrat Chris Mann had 548,047 votes (50.5 percent) to Republican Kris Kobach’s 536,759 (49.5 percent), a difference of 11,288 votes.
Other statewide races were narrow, though less so:
- Secretary of State: Republican Pat Proctor led Democrat Jennifer Day by 10,756 votes, 48.4 percent to 47.4 percent. Scott E. Morgan had 4.2 percent.
- Commissioner of Insurance: Republican Daniel Hawkins led Democrat Dinah Sykes by 19,115 votes, 49.1 percent to 47.3 percent.
- State Treasurer: Republican Steven Johnson led Democrat Juan C. Luengo by 75,948 votes, 51.3 percent to 44.2 percent.
Three Kansas House races were separated by fewer than 100 votes: the 27th District, where Democrat Sara Kiewiet led Republican Sean E. Tarwater 6,863 to 6,822; the 40th, where Republican David Buehler led Democrat Mika Stilwell 3,806 to 3,739; and the 123rd, where Democrat Becca Burnfin led Republican Bob Lewis 2,876 to 2,784.
Democrats swing about 16 points from 2020 in the Senate race
In 2020, Marshall beat Democrat Barbara Bollier 53.2 percent to 41.8 percent, an 11.4-point Republican margin. On Tuesday, Hamilton won by 4.9 points. That is a swing of about 16 points in the margin.
Most of the change came from Republican votes that did not return. Marshall received 503,230 votes, down 224,732 (30.9 percent) from his 727,962 in 2020. Hamilton’s 556,414 was 15,116 fewer than Bollier’s 571,530. Total votes in the Senate race fell 20 percent, from 1,367,755 to 1,092,578. The 2020 race was held in a presidential year.
Democrats drew between 44.2 and 50.9 percent in every statewide race. Two of those races, governor and attorney general, are too close to call.
In the Kansas House, Democrats led in 38 of the 87 races listed in the Secretary of State’s results.
Barton County
Republicans led every partisan race in Barton County, where 8,533 of 17,179 registered voters (49.67 percent) cast ballots with all 44 precincts reporting. These figures are from the 9:16 p.m. Tuesday report.
Ballot questions:
- Constitutional amendment: 6,619 yes (80.2 percent), 1,637 no (19.8 percent).
- Great Bend sales tax: 2,509 yes (61.4 percent), 1,576 no (38.6 percent).
- Hoisington sales tax: 483 yes (56.4 percent), 373 no (43.6 percent). The early and advance vote was split, 75 against and 74 in favor.
Great Bend City Council: Gary Parr led Deklyn Craven 509 to 299 in Ward 1. In Ward 2, Kevyn Soupiset had 695, Judy Duryee 427 and Russell Snyder 292. Cody Harris led Layne Leuenberger 550 to 457 in Ward 3. Sue Cooper was unopposed in Ward 4 with 434 votes.
County commissioners Dale E. Maneth, Tricia Schlessiger and Stanley Behrends and District Judge Carey Hipp were unopposed. All seven judges on the ballot had more yes votes than no votes.
Pawnee County
Republicans led every contested partisan race in Pawnee County, where 2,066 ballots were cast. These figures are from the 9:09 p.m. Tuesday report, which did not list registered voters or precincts reporting.
Republican Lon E. Pishny was unopposed in the Kansas House 122nd District with 413 votes.
The statewide constitutional amendment led 1,542 to 427 (78.3 percent to 21.7 percent). All seven judges on the ballot had more yes votes than no votes.
In the 1st District county commission race, Republican Michael P. Burdett led Democrat Steven O. Walters 645 to 242. Republican Brock Miller was unopposed for the 2nd District seat with 529 votes. In Larned City Council Ward 4, Sharon McGinness led David Kennedy 92 to 71.
Stafford County
Republicans won every partisan race in Stafford County with all 25 precincts reporting, topping 70 percent in all but the U.S. Senate race, where Marshall had 69.5 percent. Hamilton received 369 votes (25.0 percent).
