Marshall-Hamilton showdown becomes most expensive election in Kansas history

TOPEKA — Ad spending on the U.S. Senate race in Kansas has exceeded $84.5 million between the two major-party candidates, creating the most expensive election in state history. 

Spending has exceeded the state’s previous record of $49.1 million in 2020, when U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall first ran for senate, according to AdImpact, an ad tracking and analysis company.

Marshall faces the Rev. Adam Hamilton, a Democratic pastor in the Kansas City-area, and Libertarian candidate David Graham in the Tuesday election, which has attracted national attention as the parties battle for Senate control. The 2026 election cycle also has been the most expensive on record nationwide.

Following the August primary, Marshall and Hamilton have run relentless campaigns. Marshall dug into Hamilton’s old sermons and highlighted a child sex abuse incident at the church’s youth camp two decades ago. Hamilton lambasted Marshall for his ties to Florida and spread the word about Marshall’s medical debt collection practices while an OB-GYN in central Kansas.

The Hamilton campaign has spent more than $16 million this election season while Marshall’s campaign has spent just more than $6 million, according to federal campaign finance records as of Oct. 14.

Meanwhile, outside groups have made up a majority of the spending on the two campaigns. Spending is up by 3,332% compared with the 2022 Kansas Senate election, according to AdImpact.

Groups have spent more than $27 million on ads supporting Marshall, with at least $8.5 million more in the pipeline, and more than $34 million backing Hamilton, with $14 million more expected.

The Senate Leadership Fund has been the most significant spender for Marshall, spending at least $11 million in the state after it redirected money from North Carolina to Kansas earlier this month. It has aired anti-Hamilton and pro-Marshall ads.

A Kansas-based super PAC, the People over Politics Action Fund, has been the largest spender against Marshall, spending more than $11 million. The PAC has ties to former independent U.S. Senate candidate Greg Orman, who attempted to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts in 2014. Orman contributed $50,000 to the anti-Marshall PAC in July as one of its first donors. 

Roberts, like Marshall, faced residency questions and got a late start on campaigning for a tougher-than-expected general election. Orman, like Hamilton, performed well in polls ahead of the general election and worked to distance himself from national Democrats.

Lower Costs Now, a Democratic super PAC spending against Republicans and for Democrats in key Senate races across the country, has spent nearly $6 million against Marshall and $4.5 for Hamilton, according to PaidForPolitics, which scrapes federal campaign finance reports.

Main Street Fund, a Republican-affiliated super PAC formed on Kansas’ primary election day, has spent nearly $4.6 million against Hamilton as of Oct. 21. The PAC’s funding came from other Republican-affiliated and pro-Trump PACs, according to campaign finance records.