Kansas Senate Candidate Adam Hamilton's Past Sermon on Reducing Beef Consumption Sparks Controversy

Adam Hamilton, the Democratic nominee for a U.S. Senate seat in Kansas, is facing scrutiny over a 2020 sermon in which he urged his congregation to consider eating less beef to reduce environmental harm. Hamilton, who previously led one of the largest United Methodist churches in the United States, discussed the impact of cattle farming on carbon dioxide emissions in a sermon titled "What Would Jesus Say About Climate Change?"

During the sermon, Hamilton suggested that certain food sources, like cattle, contribute more to carbon dioxide production compared to other crops or food options. He called for repentance, encouraging followers to acknowledge the environmental impact of their choices and commit to making changes.

"I'm calling us to repentance to say, 'I realize that this has impact, even if it seems small, it has an impact on the world and future generations. And I feel badly about that, and I'm going to do something different from this time forward,'" Hamilton stated.

Cattle farming is globally responsible for approximately seven percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Incumbent Senator Roger Marshall, the Republican opponent, criticized Hamilton's remarks, highlighting Kansas's significant cattle industry. Kansas has more cattle than people, with its 5.8 million head of cattle outnumbering its 2.9 million residents. The state is also the third-largest beef producer in the U.S.

"In a state with more cattle than people, Hamilton saying that Kansans need repent for eating too much beef and flip flopping on the Farm Bill proves he’d be just like every other liberal Democrat in the Senate," Marshall said in a statement.

Hamilton's campaign spokesman, Tyson Brody, responded by accusing Marshall of hypocrisy, pointing to Marshall's own past comments about declining cattle herds reducing methane emissions. Brody urged Marshall to address issues such as tariffs, foreign imports, and diesel prices affecting Kansas cattle producers, and to refrain from attacking Hamilton for remarks that Marshall himself had seemingly echoed.

Brody also referenced Marshall's vote on legislation that would require warning labels on certain ultra-processed foods, suggesting it was a misstep.

Hamilton is running on a platform of addressing "chaos and corruption in Washington" by listening to constituents and collaborating to solve problems. Recent polling indicates a competitive race between Hamilton and Marshall in Kansas, a state where Democrats have not won a U.S. Senate election since 1932, though the party has seen success in gubernatorial races.