Adam Hamilton released a recorded message on Oct. 19 welcoming President Donald Trump to Kansas as the president visited Park City to headline a rally for Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, Hamilton’s campaign confirmed.
In the video Hamilton urged the president to listen to “a single mom in Wichita” and farmers worried about fuel and fertilizer costs, and said “if you voted for the president, you also have a place in my campaign.”
Trump spoke at Heartland Credit Union Arena on Oct. 19 in Park City to campaign for Marshall, criticizing Hamilton during his remarks and drawing several thousand attendees, local reporters say.
Hamilton’s recorded message and the timing of his events were part of an intensified closing stretch in the Kansas Senate race, which Democrats see as unexpectedly competitive this year after Hamilton’s campaign disclosed a strong fundraising quarter.
POLITICO reported that Hamilton raised $10.6 million in the third quarter, a haul his campaign called evidence of momentum in the race to flip a historically Republican Senate seat.
The Trump visit and the Marshall campaign’s messaging prompted pushback from Hamilton’s team. A Hamilton spokesperson framed the president’s appearance as an attempt to distract voters from rising costs and local issues, saying outside surrogates “are sending in reinforcements to lie and attack Adam Hamilton to try to save Marshall,” according to local reporting.
Local TV and newspapers provided logistics for the president’s event: Heartland Credit Union Arena listed doors opening in the afternoon and Trump’s remarks scheduled for the evening, and Sedgwick County announced road closures and parking guidance for the visit.
Where the campaigns stand in the final weeks
Hamilton has pitched himself as a bipartisan, independent-minded Democrat who will work with the president when policies help Kansas, while still criticizing Washington decisions that hurt farmers, hospitals and paychecks — language quoted verbatim in his recorded message.
Republican coverage of the event focused on Marshall’s record and the national party’s efforts to shore up the incumbent. Local accounts said Trump called Hamilton “radical left” during the rally and repeatedly defended Marshall’s record while promising policy moves for farmers.
Both parties have increased spending and visits in Kansas this month as the Nov. 3 election approaches, and national groups on both sides have reserved millions for TV and digital ads, according to POLITICO’s reporting on ad buys and fundraising.
The campaigns are scheduled to continue events and media appearances through Election Day, and a televised debate between Marshall and Hamilton was set to follow the president’s visit later this week, local outlets reported.
Sources
- KSNW — Hamilton’s recorded message welcoming the president and rally logistics in Park City.
- Kansas Reflector — Coverage of Trump’s Oct. 19 rally, his criticism of Hamilton, and attendee details.
- KWCH — Full text of Hamilton’s message and local reaction including planned protests.
- POLITICO — Report on Hamilton’s $10.6 million third-quarter fundraising total and national spending into the race.
Related coverage: see a recent Trump rally story and regional reaction in our internal reporting.
Further reading: Trump in Syracuse rallies for Bruce Blakeman, brings Mike Tyson onstage and Jon Husted: Trump’s comments about his body draw GOP reaction in Ohio.
