In the US Congressional midterm elections, Democrats made a significant gain in the state of Kansas, where Republicans have had the upper hand for many years.
According to media outlets' election projections, Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton was elected to the Senate by defeating Republican Senator Roger Marshall, who was supported by Trump.
Hamilton's victory was historic as it marked the first time a Democrat from Kansas was elected to the U.S. Senate in 94 years.
The election result in Kansas attracted attention because the state is among the regions where Republicans are strong.
Trump won Kansas by over 16 points in the 2024 presidential elections. The Senate race was initially expected to be easy for Republicans.
However, in the final weeks of the election campaign, the competition between the two candidates intensified. Trump and Vice President JD Vance attended election campaigns in Kansas to support Marshall.
At the rally held near Wichita on October 19, Trump announced that 8 billion dollars of support would be provided to farmers in order to cover the increasing diesel costs during the harvest period.
DEMOCRATS GAINED STRENGTH IN THE SENATE
In the US Senate, where Republicans entered the elections with a majority of 47 seats against 53, Democrats needed to achieve a net gain of at least four seats in order to gain control.
The result in Kansas helped Democrats increase their number of seats in the Senate.
Adam Hamilton, 62, pastor of the largest United Methodist congregation in the United States, built his election campaign on the cost of living and cross-party cooperation.
Describing himself as an "independent-minded Democrat," Hamilton rejected Republican efforts to portray him as a far-leftist.
Hamilton, who carried a badge reading "Love each other" in his victory speech, emphasized the need for unity between Democrats and Republicans.
Arguing that the Trump administration's policies such as tariffs and cuts in food aid increase the cost of living, Hamilton called for these increases to be limited.
"The people of Kansas, Republicans, Democrats and independents, said what happened in Washington was unacceptable," Hamilton said.
THE ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF THE IRAN WAR WERE ON THE ELECTION AGENDA
Increasing production costs for farmers was one of the important agenda items in the election race in Kansas.
Hamilton and Marshall tried to gain the support of farmers who were negatively affected by rising diesel and fertilizer prices due to the war in Iran.
Roger Marshall, who worked as a gynecologist and obstetrician before entering politics, was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2016 and to the Senate in 2020.
Marshall became the target of criticism after a report published in the New York Times in September revealed that he had sued more than 700 of his patients for unpaid medical bills.
Marshall, who described the news as an attempt to smear him in an interview with Fox News, argued that he followed normal practices in debt collection.
