Kansas Democrat Urges Kamala Harris to Avoid His Campaign Trail

Kansas Democratic Senate nominee Rev. Adam Hamilton has publicly stated that former Vice President Kamala Harris should not campaign with him, expressing concerns that her presence would harm his efforts to attract crossover support in the deeply Republican state.

"No offense intended for her but she would not be help to me. We are a different kind of Democrat….I mean no offense to Kamala Harris… Please do not come to my state. I do not need you here. You would actually hurt me," Hamilton told MS NOW in a recent interview. He noted that while Harris recently campaigned for Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, his own race in Kansas requires a different approach.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) responded to Hamilton's remarks, with spokesman Zach Kraft accusing the Democratic nominee of attempting to distance himself from Harris despite perceived similarities in their political records. "From demonizing Christians to wanting to ban ranching in a Green New Deal, Adam Hamilton has been in lockstep with Kamala Harris' radical leftwing agenda his entire life," Kraft said in a statement. "Kansans will reject Hamilton just like they rejected his best friend Kamala Harris in 2024."

Hamilton, a prominent pastor, won an 11-candidate Democratic primary in August and is challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Roger Marshall. Kansas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932, making Hamilton's strategy to appeal to Republican and independent voters a critical component of his campaign.

During a previous appearance on CNN, Hamilton suggested that national Democratic figures could be liabilities in Kansas due to the state's significant Republican electorate. He stated that many Kansans are independent-minded and that he needs to appeal to the 45 percent of the state's population that identifies as Republican.

Harris had recently campaigned with El-Sayed in Detroit, participating in a roundtable on Black maternal health. She also addressed Democratic voters at an NAACP event in the city.

In the 2024 presidential election, Donald Trump won Kansas with 57.16% of the vote, while Harris received 41.04%, according to the Kansas secretary of state. Republicans have also sought to criticize Hamilton based on past sermons, with Vice President JD Vance recently targeting his religious and political record. The RNC's criticism echoes broader Republican attacks that have selectively used portions of Hamilton's sermons, including those addressing climate change, to portray him as aligned with progressive policies.

Despite these challenges, Hamilton has also demonstrated an ability to find common ground. He and Sen. Marshall both supported a Senate committee farm bill and criticized Democratic senators who opposed it, according to a Kansas Reflector report. This bipartisan stance on agricultural legislation highlights Hamilton's efforts to navigate the political landscape in Kansas.