Pastor Adam Hamilton Takes Faith and Politics to the Senate Race in Kansas

The First Lady of Journalism
4 days ago
4 min read

The Democratic Senate nominee and longtime United Methodist pastor faces Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in a state where no Democrat has won a U.S. Senate race in nearly a century.

KANSAS — Rev. Adam Hamilton has spent more than three decades leading one of the largest United Methodist congregations in the United States. Now, the Kansas pastor is taking a very different role: running for the U.S. Senate.

Hamilton, 61, is the Democratic nominee challenging Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in the November election. His campaign presents an unusual intersection of faith and politics as he attempts to appeal to both religious voters and people who may be uncomfortable with the idea of a pastor holding federal office.

Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932, making Hamilton's campaign a significant challenge from the beginning. At the same time, the state has elected Democratic governors and has a sizable population of moderate voters. (AP News)

From pastor to political candidate

Hamilton founded the Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area in 1990. What began with a small group meeting in a funeral home chapel eventually grew into a congregation of approximately 25,000 members across nine locations.

He has also written more than 30 books, primarily addressing Christian theology, and has become a nationally recognized figure within the United Methodist Church. (AP News)

His political campaign, however, requires him to navigate a different kind of audience.

Hamilton describes himself as a centrist and has emphasized themes including unity, affordability and what he calls "decency."

He has also said that his church congregation includes Democrats, Republicans and independents, something he views as evidence that people with different political beliefs can worship together.

A pastor running for the Senate

Hamilton's campaign raises an unusual question: Can someone continue serving as a pastor while also serving in Congress?

Only a small number of ordained ministers have served in the U.S. Senate in recent decades. The most notable current example is Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, who has continued serving as senior pastor of Atlanta's Ebenezer Baptist Church while holding elected office. (AP News)

Hamilton has said that if elected, he would like to continue serving as senior pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, although on a limited schedule. He has discussed preaching approximately 12 to 18 times a year.

He has also emphasized that he would not use a Senate position as a platform for evangelism.

"I'm not running for the Senate to make everybody in this country Christian or United Methodist," Hamilton told the Associated Press.

Instead, he says he would represent constituents regardless of their religious beliefs. (AP News)

His faith has become part of the campaign

Hamilton's religious beliefs have also become a political issue.

Conservative critics have challenged some of his theological positions, particularly comments from a 2022 sermon concerning whether people who are not Christians could ultimately receive God's saving grace.

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz criticized Hamilton's position and accused him of rejecting what Cruz described as a central Christian teaching.

Hamilton has defended his interpretation by pointing to Christian thinkers, including Methodist founder John Wesley and author C.S. Lewis, who have held views he says are consistent with his understanding of salvation.

Hamilton has acknowledged that Christians disagree on the subject.

The dispute demonstrates one of the challenges facing his campaign: His religious background is central to his public identity, but some voters are evaluating his theology alongside his political positions.

Republicans argue Hamilton is too liberal

Republican opponents have sought to portray Hamilton as too liberal for Kansas.

Marshall has described Hamilton as "too woke for Kansas" and has criticized his positions on issues including climate change, LGBTQ+ rights and other cultural questions.

Some Republican advertisements have also attempted to use portions of Hamilton's sermons against him.

One example involved a 2020 sermon about environmental responsibility. Critics portrayed Hamilton as calling on Christians to repent for eating beef, while his campaign says the advertisement misleadingly combined separate portions of the sermon. (AP News)

Hamilton's views on LGBTQ+ issues have also evolved over time. He has supported the United Methodist Church's decision to allow greater inclusion of LGBTQ+ clergy and has described his own views as developing through relationships with members of his congregation.

Hamilton says faith should inform, not control, government

For Hamilton, the question is not whether faith belongs in public life, but how a person of faith should approach public service.

During Lent, Hamilton said he spent time praying and fasting before deciding to enter the Senate race.

He has described his decision as a calling while also acknowledging that voters, rather than his religious beliefs, will determine the outcome.

At campaign events, he has continued to reference Christian teachings while telling voters that he intends to represent people of all faiths and people with no faith.

That distinction may be particularly important in a general election where Hamilton needs to attract voters beyond his church community.

A difficult road to the Senate

Hamilton enters the general election against an incumbent Republican in a state that has historically favored Republicans in federal elections.

Marshall, a physician and former congressman, is focusing his campaign on rural conservatives and his experience with agriculture policy.

Hamilton is attempting to build a broader coalition around issues such as affordability, government assistance programs and political civility. (AP News)

The race will test whether Hamilton's profile as a pastor can help him reach voters outside the Democratic base or whether his theological and political positions will become obstacles in a traditionally Republican state.

More than one election

The Kansas Senate race is also part of a larger national conversation about the role religious leaders can play in American politics.

Pastors, priests and other members of the clergy have served in Congress throughout American history. But Hamilton's potential decision to continue leading a large congregation while serving in the Senate would be unusual.

For Hamilton, the campaign represents an attempt to carry his pastoral philosophy beyond the church.

Whether Kansas voters believe that approach belongs in the U.S. Senate will ultimately be decided at the ballot box.

The general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.