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US Midterms 2026
5NOV

Hamilton beats Marshall 50.9% to 46.0%

1 min read
00:50UTC

Adam Hamilton beat Senator Roger Marshall 50.9% to 46.0% on NBC's projection, while Kansas's governor's race stood uncalled at 50.3% to 49.7%.

PoliticsDeveloping
Key takeaway

Hamilton took Kansas's Senate seat while the state's governor's race remains uncalled.

Deep Analysis

In plain English

Kansas, a Republican-leaning state in the US Midwest, elected Democrat Adam Hamilton to the US Senate, unseating Republican Senator Roger Marshall. The race for Kansas governor was too close to call on Wednesday, with the two leading candidates less than one point apart.

Deep Analysis
Root Causes

Marshall's fundraising trailed far behind his challenger's: he raised $618,222 from 16 July to Hamilton's $8.27m. Party help did not fill the gap, because the national Republican Senate committee spent nothing with its Kansas nominee in early October.

The late money in Kansas came from super PACs on both sides. WinSenate, Senate Majority PAC's ad-buying affiliate, reported advertising against Marshall from 10 October, while SLF money reached the race through Plains PAC.

What could happen next?
  • Consequence

    Kansas's governorship stays undecided while the remaining ballots are counted.

First Reported In

Update #23 · Democrats take the Senate and the House

NBC News· 5 Nov 2026
Read original →
Different Perspectives
Missouri voters
Missouri voters
Missouri voters rejected Proposition A by 61.83% to 38.17% at 95% reporting, repealing the 2025 map that split Kansas City. Trump carried the state, yet its 2022 lines now stay for future elections too.
Senate Leadership Fund (SLF)
Senate Leadership Fund (SLF)
SLF reported about $43.9m of independent expenditures from 27 October to 1 November, almost all against Democrats, including $12.37m against Sherrod Brown. Seven of its ten targets won; Dan Osborn lost in Nebraska and two are uncalled.
Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
Richard Hudson, chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee
Hudson, who runs House Republicans' campaign arm, conceded North Carolina's 9th District to Richard Ojeda before any AP call. Democrats lead 10 of the state's 14 House districts on the unofficial feed.
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
DOJ lost before Judge David O. Carter on 28 October and a 9th Circuit panel on 30 October on its demand to set aside 20,000 California ballots, and says it will appeal the Alaska dismissal. No court has set a ballot aside.
Senator Dan S. Sullivan
Senator Dan S. Sullivan
Sullivan, who trails Mary Peltola 48.2% to 47.9% on first choices, told CNN he would accept the result. DOJ's suit to stop Alaska certifying anyone but him was dismissed on 1 November.
Scott Colom's campaign
Scott Colom's campaign
Colom's campaign estimates that about 15,000 affidavit ballots remain to be counted in a race he leads by roughly 65 to 100 votes. Those ballots count only if voters confirm their ID or eligibility by 5pm on 10 November.

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Editorial standards.