By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Adam Hamilton, candidate for U.S. Senate from Kansas, made a campaign stop in Hays Sunday night.
He discussed his three areas of focus: bipartisanship, affordability and restoring decency in politics.
Hamilton is the pastor of a 24,000-member United Methodist Church in Kansas City.
He only entered the race 10 weeks ago.
Hamilton highlighted some of his church’s service work in the community, including a mobile grocery program, beds for children, $10 million for poor schools and a mobile dental program.
“My point is to say that I've had 36 years of experience leading and moving people to serve their community to make the world a better place,” he said. “That's part of what drives me and drives our congregation.”
Hamilton said he is nearing retirement but was compelled to run for office after President Trump took office in January 2025.
“I watched President Trump sign 24 executive orders, and as he signed those executive orders, there were three of them …
“I thought that's going to hurt people. I've spent my life trying to help people and trying to see who the people are who are struggling,” Hamilton said.
Hamilton added, “Now, government's not the solution to everything. We're supposed to help ourselves to the degree that we can, and communities help each other, and churches and synagogues,” Hamilton said. …
“But there are places where the government has to step in. But instead of stepping in to make things better, it looked like the government was stepping away and making things worse.”
Hamilton raised concerns about SNAP benefit cuts under the Trump administration.
“You're not going to get rich on SNAP benefits. SNAP benefits, but there are 10,000 children, some of whom are in your own city here in Hays, who now may be in danger of going to bed hungry,” Hamilton said.
After his parents’ divorce, his mother raised Hamilton on her own, and they were under the poverty line for a time, he said.
He also expressed concerns about Medicaid cuts for some individuals.
“Of course, that hurts two ways because it means there are some people who don't have insurance anymore. But then you have rural hospitals, and those rural hospitals have a disproportionate number of people who are on Medicaid,” he said.
He added that more people lost insurance or experienced steep cost increases when subsidies were eliminated for Affordable Care Act coverage.
Trade and tariffs
Hamilton said he wants to have greater Congressional checks on tariffs.
Tariffs had increased farmers' costs for inputs like fuel and fertilizer and reduced their markets for crops, he said.
Small businesses are also struggling under Trump tariffs, he said.
He gave the example of a U.S. manufacturer with 60 employees that makes parts for the F-35.
The business must import aluminum from Canada, but the tariffs resulted in the small company losing $80,000 on a contract.
Bipartisanship
Hamilton said the two parties need to come together to find solutions for the country.
“It's just the crassness and the mean-spiritedness in Washington, the divisiveness. We're acting as though we're on different teams. Like there's a Republican team and a Democratic team, and we're going to insult the other team and we're going to try to make sure they look bad,” Hamilton said.
“There's just one team, and that's Team America. We are Team America, and we need people. We pay [congressmen] to go up and to serve and to work together to solve big problems, but those problems are not being solved.”
He highlighted some problems that need cooperation from both parties to solve.
“We're going to try to address affordability, health care, fuel prices, food prices, and even how young people get into their first house,” he said.
“I'm a moderate Democrat. I'm going to run to stand up for the principles of the Democratic Party and to work across the aisle to make our country work better,” Hamilton said.
“I'm going to go to Washington, D.C., to fight for Kansans. I want to fight for you in Hays,” he said. “I want to fight for Republicans, Independents and Democrats.
“I want to fight for farmers and school teachers. I want to fight to make sure that we in Kansas have a chance to prosper and thrive.”
Hamilton used the “Wizard of Oz” analogy to explain all that is wrong with Washington, D.C.
“That's why I'm running for office, because in Washington, D.C., it seems like right now there are a lot of people who are not using their brains. They're not thinking critically,” Hamilton said.
“They're not asking questions about what their president's telling them to do or what the leaders of their party are telling them to do. … They're just playing politics.
“Second, there are a lot of people who, it feels to me, have lost their hearts. They have forgotten to have empathy and compassion.
He said he also thinks many in Washington, D.C., have lost their courage.
He said Trump is exerting pressure to eliminate potential critics during the primaries.
“Finally, when somebody's primaryed, and they didn't get reelected, do you notice how much backbone they find after that? A lot of courage. They're going to speak up and say, ‘This is not right.’ And what I want to know is, where were you when you voted on the Big, Beautiful Bill last year? Where were you when you were taking benefits away from people, and you knew it was wrong, but you were afraid to speak up?”
Hamilton said he would speak up for the people.
“We need leaders who have a head and a heart, and who have courage, and I will tell you that's what I hope to bring to Washington, D.C.,” he said.
The primary is Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Sen. Roger Marshall is the incumbent. He will face Pond Naramore of Lawrence in the Republican primary.
The Democratic candidates also inlcude:
- Damon Anderson of Shawnee
- Christy Davis of Cottonwood Falls
- Jason Hart of Wichita
- Kevin Latz of Mission Hills
- Erik Murray of Kansas City
- Sandy Spidel Neumann of Mission
- Anne Parelkar of Overland Park
- Patrick Schmidt of Topeka
- Michael Soetaert of Wellington
- Noah Taylor of Kechi